God’s Presence All Around

Scripture Reading:  Exodus 14:13-31

Focus Verses: Exodus 14:19-20  "And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them.  So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night.”

Have you ever found yourself in a hopeless situation?  That’s where the Children of Israel find themselves in Exodus 14.  They are being chased from Egypt by Pharaoh’s army.  They are now up against the Red Sea in front of them, mountains on either side of them, and Pharaoh’s army behind them.  They are being squeezed.  But they had a definite advantage over the Egyptians.  The Lord was on their side.  

The Bible says the Angel of God went before, and moved and went behind the Children of Israel.  The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud and by night in a pillar of fire.  God was their Guide and their Guard.  The night before they cross the Red Sea the Angel of God was behind them protecting them from the Egyptians all night.  Robert Morgan says it well in Red Sea Rules.  “For His children, He serves as both Guard and Guide.  He both precedes us and protects us.  He is simultaneously our Shepherd and Shield.  He is our Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the One who goes before, guiding into the future, and the One who goes behind gathering up our debris, our failures, and our poor attempts at ministry, blessing us and leaving a blessing behind us for others.”   Psalm 139:5-6 says, “I look behind me and you’re there, then up ahead and you’re there too, you're reassuring presence, coming and going.  This is too much, too wonderful, I can’t take it all in!”

God put His people in a position where if He didn’t come through for them it would have been a disaster.  God did come through for them.  He parted the Red Sea and they walked through on dry ground.  Not only that, God destroyed their enemy with the same miracle.  When you find yourself being squeezed on every side, be assured that God’s presence is all around you.  You are not alone.

 

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries