Crisis

Crisis

MY QUESTION for GOD

Can my response to a crisis reveal my faith in God?

A MOMENT with GOD

As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the Lord, and they said to Moses, “Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’” But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. . . . The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”

Exodus 14:10-14

Too often a crisis exposes your unbelief and fear rather than your confidence and trust in God. The Israelites panicked when they saw Pharaoh’s army approaching. In spite of everything they had seen the Lord do in Egypt, they did not trust him to deliver them this time. The army they could see seemed more powerful than the God they could not see. Their response to crisis teaches us that it is not enough simply to know about or even to witness God’s mighty acts. You must allow God’s faithfulness in the past to bolster your faith that God will deliver you from your present trials. Times of crisis can strengthen your character and allow God’s transforming power to touch you more deeply. It doesn’t matter what the cause or the magnitude of the crisis is; how you handle it and to whom you go for help are the keys to effectively getting through it. A crisis can raise questions about the presence of God and his role in the situation. The answers you find to those questions will reveal the strength of your faith.

DIVINE PROMISE

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!

Psalm 46:1-3