Hemmed In

“Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon. Pharaoh will think,’ ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.’ "¹

At some point, everyone who calls on the name of Jesus Christ will find their faith challenged. Some may argue with this statement by asserting, “My faith in Christ has never wavered!”

Faith that wavers and faith that is challenged are not one in the same.

Often when my faith was challenged, I have felt as if I were hemmed in; as though I had no way out. I believe that the enemy of my faith wants me to regret my decision to trust God with the outcome; to somehow believe I can turn around and go back.

The Israelites experienced this challenge in Pi Hahiroth:

“As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD.”²

Fear always accompanies a challenge to your faith. You feel trapped, realizing there is no way of escape. You can’t go back, you can’t go laterally to the left or right, and there in front of you is an obstacle with no visible pathway.

How do you combat fear?

All of us experience fear in some form. All of us deal with fear differently.

A woman waits nervously for her doctor to reveal the news of tests that were run. An athlete anxiously awaits the announcement of his name so that he can race onto the field of competition. A politician tentatively awaits her introduction to a packed audience. A family faces the uncertainty of losing their home unless they can somehow resume making their mortgage payments. A man waits for a job offer after enduring months of unemployment.

Each of these people found themselves in dire straits much like the Israelites were in this passage of scripture; they were hemmed in by their circumstances. God told Moses,

“Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp before Pi-Hahiroth, between Migdol and the [Red] Sea, before Baal-Zephon. You shall encamp opposite it by the sea.”³

Israel reached a dead end at Etham. It was here that God told Moses to turn back. They then camped between the three geographic points of Pi-Hahiroth, Migdol, and Baal-Zephon (on the opposite side of the Red Sea). Etham was impassable, as was the impassable rocky terrain of Pi Hahiroth. Migdol was a military lookout post that many believe sent word to Pharaoh of the Israelites location. From their present position, the Israelites could see Baal-Zephon, but the Red Sea formed a gulf between the shores where they camped and the mountaintop view of Baal-Zephon. To make matters worse, they were being pursued by the military forces of Pharaoh’s army.

They were hemmed in!

They couldn’t go back to that life they left in Egypt, and it appeared as though they couldn’t escape Pharaoh’s army.

Watching as the Egyptians approached, fear grabbed them by the throat.

In their fear, they cried out to God. They cried out to the One who is The God of My Salvation. I wonder if they prayed, “God save me!”

I’ve faced circumstances where I was hemmed in. Thinking about this passage of scripture, I can easily see myself in the position of Israel. I prayed for the God of miracles to rescue me. I called on the same God who provided a Pillar of Cloud and a Pillar of Fire, to demonstrate His miraculous power and might. Some may say that, “God works no miracles today.” Others may say, “There is no God.” But those who by faith trust in The Eternal God, believe that,

“…without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”⁴

I believe that God was leading Israel to a land of promise, but to get there, Israel had to go through trials. They face circumstances that pointed to The One True God as their Deliverer. Israel feared Pharaoh and his army. But God wanted them to move from the place of fear to the place of faith. To get them to the place of faith, God had to deliver Israel and demolish Pharaoh’s army.

To get you to the place of faith, God must deliver you and demolish what you fear.

While your circumstance may have you hemmed in, the place of faith lies ahead of you; to get there, you must move forward.

It doesn’t matter how God opens up your path, all that matters is that you trust Him with each step you take. Sometimes we may go through a Red Sea experience where the doctors have done all they can do, and the sickness has us hemmed in. We don’t know if we will escape, but God says,

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.”⁵

You may find yourself in the wilderness of the unemployed, hemmed in by the lack of opportunity. The bank may be ready to foreclose on your home but God is still the same. He loves and cares about every one of us.

When I’m hemmed in by fear and circumstance, I’ll remember to,

“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”⁶

“Yet those who wait for the LORD
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.”⁷

I may be hemmed in by my circumstance, but I’m not without hope. I’m not going to live in fear and hopelessness. I’ll trust God to deliver me. I’m going to walk right up to the shoreline; I’ll do my part and trust God to make a way.

Sovereign God,

I'm standing on the shores of my very own Red Sea experience; hemmed in by a circumstance, but I'm not afraid. You are the same, yesterday, today and forever; Jesus Christ, Lord of all. Though the enemy of my faith rages, I will not be afraid. You order both night and day, the dawn arises by Your word. You are The God of Miracles. You proved Yourself in the wilderness to Israel. You delivered them from Pharaoh and his army. You completely vanquished the enemy of Israel just as it is written, "The Egyptians you see today you will never see again." My life is in Your hands Lord; I put my faith and trust in You. I wait on You Lord. Open up the windows of heaven and pour Your blessings upon us. You give us more grace that we may resist the enemy. Thank You Lord for delivering us from our circumstance. We thank and praise You, we give You the glory You richly deserve. Amen.

Note: Several months ago, a blogger friend suggested I visit Charlotte and Ginger who host the blog Spiritual Sundays, and that I should link in with fellow bloggers who share encouraging and inspirational posts.

I believe you will find hearts ablaze with faith, love, compassion, kindness, humility, and fellowship in Christ. I encourage you to visit. You won't be disappointed.

Footnotes:

1. Exodus 14:1-3, NIV
2. Exodus 14:10, NIV
3. Exodus 14:2, Amplified Bible
4. Hebrews 11:6, NASB
5. Proverbs 3:5-6, NASB
6. Psalm 27:14, KJV
7. Isaiah 40:31, NASB

References:

1. King James Version, The Crusade Analytical Study Edition, Crusade Bible Publishers, Inc., PO Box 90011, Nashville, Tennessee 37209
2. The NIV Study Bible, Edited by Kenneth Barker, Donald Burdick, John Stek, Walter Wessel and Ronald Youngblood, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530, USA
3. The Ryrie Study Bible (New American Standard Version), Edited by Charles C. Ryrie, Moody Publishers, Chicago, Illinois, ISBN 0-8024-8920-6
4. Matthew Henry's Commentary, McDonald Publishing Company, McLean, Virginia 22101, ISBN 0-917006-21-6
5. Amplified Bible, BibleGateway.com

A Lost Sheep

Note: This post is based on a true story, however, since I didn't obtain permission from those I wrote about, I changed their names. I do not believe this takes away from the events which occurred. Scripture declares that, "The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. (NLTB) Drugs have been used as a tool to rob, kill and destroy families. I pray that the gift of life through Jesus Christ provide healing, deliverance and salvation to those who've been wounded by drug addiction.


“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away!” (Matthew 18:11-13, New Living Translation Bible)

He sat there contemplating what to do with this news about his son. The news came as no surprise, still, it wasn’t the kind of news he wanted to hear. A childhood friend, who knew his son, thought he should know where and how he was living. The message kept repeating in his mind.

“I thought you should know where your son is. He’s pretty bad off.”

Those words summed it up all right. The father wrote down the address and sat there staring at the notepad. The words echoed in his mind again and again.

He’s pretty bad off.

Closing his eyes, he began to pray silently.

Father in heaven…Help me find my son. Let Your Spirit go before me and speak to his heart. Remind him of how he is loved and valued by You, his mother and me. I don’t know what to say, but I trust You to speak for me. You have a purpose for Him Lord. Pull him out of this gutter and show him true life. I ask this in the name of Your Son, Jesus. Amen.

He stood up, walked to the closet and grabbed a jacket. His wife met him as he walked from the bedroom.

“Who was that on the phone?”

“One of Ron’s school friends said he saw him tonight. I’m going to find him and talk.”

“I should go with you.” Her voice revealed the concern of a mother and wife.

He leaned in and kissed her. He would always do this when she needed assurance that everything would be alright; even when he didn’t know the outcome.

“No, you stay here in case someone calls.”

She looked into his eyes, searching for a clue. His smile always told her what she needed to hear.

Everything will be alright.

He kissed her a second time and said,

“I’ll be back soon.”

Then he disappeared out the door. She listened and heard the car engine starting and the gears of the chain lifting the garage door. She could hear his car drive off in the distant as the garage door began to shut.

Pulling into the parking lot, he quickly realized this was a place where one could indeed become lost. Trash littered the parking lot. There was an emptiness about this place; the word discarded came to mind. The lawn was just small patches of grass amid broken bottles, crushed cans and miscellaneous refuse. He reached into his pocket and opened the paper with the address and building number. He scanned the row of buildings, searching for some designation among the segmented units of horizontally connected homes. He could hear voices of children, the sound of music blaring, and a couple arguing loudly.

All these buildings look alike! He decided to ask someone for help. Walking up to a door, he began knocking.

“Who is it?” The voice answered as the door opened.

He looked at a young girl holding a baby.

“Hello? I’m looking for Ron. Do you know his apartment number?”

She turned her back to him and shouted a name.

“Billy.”

“Billy!”

“What!”

“You know somebody name Ron?”

“Who wants to know?”

“I don’t know, come here and see.”

Finally, a young man approached the door.

“You the one looking for Ron?”

“Yes, I’m his father and I need to speak with him.”

For some reason, hearing the word, father seemed to make an impression on this young man; his demeanor turned respectful. He stepped out the door and said,

“I can show you where he usually hangs out.”

He silently followed this young man until they arrived at another building where the young man pounded his fist against the door.

A shirtless young man opened the door.

“What’s up Billy?”

“Hey man, is Ron in there? This is his father.”

“Yeah, he’s here.” The door opened, inviting the father to come in.

Turning to Billy, he smiled and said, “Thanks.”

As he entered the apartment, he quickly detected the smoke-filled fumes of marijuana. There were people sitting on the floor smoking; the room contained no furniture except for a small lamp that offered very little light. He followed the young man through the hallway, passing more dimly lit rooms. He could hear voices but was unable to understand any words spoken. As he entered the room at the end of the hall, he could see the faces of young men and women. They were just kids, sitting on the floor getting high. He noticed one of them holding a crack pipe and wondered,

What if the police raid this place? How do I explain being here?

As he looked around for his son, the young man walked up to a body, lying crumpled on the floor. Kneeling down, he spoke to the face supported by folded arms. As the face lifted up, the father could see his son. He waited silently while his son stood and walked toward him.

“Hey Daddy, what are you doing here?” His voice asked the question but his eyes refused to look up at his father.

“I came here for you son. I want to talk.” He looked at his son. Although he was now a young man, he could still see the face of that child who smiled with innocence. He didn’t come to berate him. Ron was lost and confused. It didn’t matter how or why; he needed help, even if he was too afraid to ask. He didn’t wait for Ron to reply.

“I don’t care why you’re here son, but it doesn’t matter. You weren’t raised to live like this. Your mother and I love you and we want you to come home and let us help you work things out. I know what it’s like to live for a drug and in the end, all you get is consumed; there’s no payoff.”

He embraced his son and whispered again.

“I love you Ron.”

“I love you too Daddy.”

As he held Ron, he began to pray. There was no resistance from Ron to escape his loving embrace.

Sovereign LORD,

No life is worthless to You. You see our coming and going. You love us with an uncompromising love. A love that required the sacrificial death of Your only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ. When we lose our way, You search for us, so that none of us remain lost. You call out our name, with the voice of a Loving Father. Your Word declares, "All whom My Father gives (entrusts) to Me will come to Me; and the one who comes to Me I will most certainly not cast out [I will never, no never, reject one of them who comes to Me]." You do this because You love us as it is written, "because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son." Thank You Lord for retrieving that one lost sheep. You are The Sovereign LORD, our Almighty God. Amen.