When the Path Seems Wrong, God Remains in Control

Base Text: Exodus 13:17–14:31

Welcome – A God Present in Transitions

Beloved church, good morning!

What a joy to be together once again in the presence of the Lord, to begin Sunday with our hearts open to hear His voice.

Often, Sunday marks a transition:

The day of rest…

The beginning of a new week…

The return of uncertainties…

And it is precisely in these moments that the Word of God reminds us:

God does not lose control when we lose our peace.

One of the most precious promises in the Bible is that God guides us.

For example: the text from Jeremiah chapter 10 and verse 23. Jeremiah said,

Jeremiah 10:23 NIV

23 Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps.

Isaiah 58:11 NIV

11 The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

Now, let me give you a free translation. God will take care of you during this crisis you are going through.

That's exactly what this text means.

He will satisfy your soul in the desert. That is, in a time of economic, legal, immigration, emotional difficulty, etc.

God will take care of you!

And He will guide you not occasionally, but continuously!

Every day…, you will be guided by the guidance of our great God.

I'll give you another verse - Psalm 32 and verse 8. God said:

Psalm 32:8 NIV

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

What a wonderful way to guide, the Lord says, "I will guide you with my eyes!"

This means intimacy, just a glance, just a look from God is all we will need. You know, when husbands and wives live together for a long time, they can communicate with each other with their eyes, did you know that?

Psalm 32:8 is talking about intimacy, just a look, just a glance from God…

Another text. Proverbs, chapter 3 and verse 6, has a great promise - God says,

Proverbs 3:6 NIV

6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Psalm 37 and verse 23 - here's a great verse:

Psalm 37:23 NKJV

23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way.

“the steps of a good man” - not the steps of just any man - but the steps of a good man are established - guided by God -

That is, God, step by step and day by day, wants to lead you…

And we thank God for that, and we rejoice in it - that God guides us. And yet, sometimes, friends, we find ourselves in the greatest confusion, dead ends…

Today's topic is about:

“When the Path Seems Wrong, God Remains in Control” - Exodus 13:17

Let's try to answer this today from God's Word.

Open your Bible…

Today we will reflect on one of the best-known texts in the Bible, but also one of the deepest: the crossing of the Red Sea.

We will discover that God truly guides us, however,

God Doesn't Always Choose the Shortest Path

Exodus 13:17–18 NIV

17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” 18 So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.

The text begins by saying something curious:

“God did not lead them through the shortest way…”

God chooses a longer, more difficult, seemingly illogical path.

This teaches us that:

The shortest path is not always the best

God is more interested in forming our character than in our haste

Not every detour is a delay—sometimes it's protection!

(The owner of Hershey's chocolate missed the Titanic's departure…)

Pastor Davi Godoy missed his flight leaving Africa… the plane crashed…

Perhaps you are experiencing a moment like this:

“Lord, why is it taking so long?”

“Why wasn't it easier?”

God knows exactly where He is leading you.

First Truth: God Guides Even When We Don't Understand

Exodus 13:21–22 NIV

21 By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. 22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.

The Bible says vs.21-22 that:

“The Lord went ahead of them, by day in a pillar of cloud and by night in a pillar of fire.”

The people didn't have a map, but they had the presence of God.

Application:

Now listen, my friend...

You may be thinking it's taking too long...

You're saying the journey is difficult...

You've come here questioning why?...

#1 - God has a land of blessings for you.

And God has a place of fulfillment for you.

And God has a work for you to do.

And God has blessing upon blessing that He wants to give you.

And, because YOU see yourself going around and around in circles in a desert...

You might think you're outside of God's will.

But you are not outside of God's will.

God is guiding you through longer paths because God knows that you are not yet fully ready for some of the things He has reserved for you.

And therefore, the delay does not mean that we are outside of God's will.

The main point is: God guides us!

God doesn't guide us by the most direct, shortest route...

God doesn't promise to explain everything...

He promises to be with us...

When we don't know the next step, or don't understand the path, God's presence is enough for us to keep walking.

Second Truth: Apparent Setbacks Are Part of the Plan (Exodus 14:1–4)

Exodus 14:1–4 NIV

1 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “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. 3 Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.’ 4 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So the Israelites did this.

God tells the people to turn back and encamp before the sea.

Humanly speaking he was telling them to go to a dead-end:

Behind: the Egyptian army

In front: the Red Sea

To the sides: the desert

It seemed that God had made a mistake.

But the text says:

“I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh…”

What seems like confusion to us is divine strategy.

Sometimes God leads us to a dead end. And you won't see any way out.

That is, there is no pastor who can give you a theological explanation…

There is no influencer who can show you a way out.

There is no book that will help you.

And when you reach that place, that dead end – remember one thing:

There is no panic in heaven: only plans!

There has never been panic in heaven — never!

God knew exactly what He was doing.

Now, the Jews didn't know what God was doing.

And the point I want to emphasize is that they were not outside of God's will when they reached this dead end.

They were exactly in the center of God's will.

It was God who led them there.

What is the purpose of the dead end in your life?

There are four things that God told the Israelites that are true for you today.

What does God want you to do?

Number one: Do not fear.

Look at verse 13—look at it: “Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid’” (Exodus 14:13).

See, God will allow you to reach a place where there seems to be all sorts of things to fear, and then He says, “Do not fear.”

And God needs to lead us to a dead end, to this place of despair so that we can learn that there is nothing to fear.

Three hundred and sixty-five times in the Bible—once for each day of the year—the Bible says, “Do not fear,”

“The Lord is my helper; I will not fear what man can do to me” (Hebrews 13:6).

And therefore, God puts us in a place of despair, so that He can teach us about dependence, so that He can tell you: “Do not fear.”

And then He tells the people the second thing: “Be still.”

Observe verse 13: “Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm…’” (Exodus 14:13).

In other words, it's out of your hands.

Finally, there's nothing you can do.

The Bible says in Psalm 46, verse 10: “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

We always think we have to do something, even if it's wrong, don't we?

And, oh, we rush around.

Busy manipulating, trying, scheming, plotting; but finally we come to a place where God surrounds us: the sea here, the mountain here, the mountain there, and the devil behind us.

And there's no way out but up.

Just be still. “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Third thing God says to Moses, See the Salvation of the Lord.

“…and see the salvation of the Lord” (Exodus 14:13).

Now, that doesn't mean seeing it after it happens.

Nothing had happened when he told them to see.

In other words, you, through the eye of faith, must see what God is going to do.

It means, be still and watch God go to work!

It means, be still long enough for you to see what God is going to do, be still before He does it.

You see, we see things that are not, as if they were, so that they may be.

We must come a place where we say: “I refuse to fear, because it was God who brought me here. And by faith, I see my way out, even when I don't see it.”

Fourth thing, God Shows Us the Way.

—the way we've never seen before.

See in verse 15: “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Why are you crying out to me? “Tell the Israelites to move on” (Exodus 14:15).

We have to reach that place of rest and trust, where, by faith, we see God in action and then, again, we move in a way we have never seen before.

And notice what God said in verse 16:

Exodus 14:16 “16 Lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea, and the waters will be divided so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.”

Do you know what God did with that dead end?

He transformed it into an eight-lane superhighway, and with dry feet, they crossed the Red Sea.

God knows the way through the desert.

I am the Lord, your God. Is anything too hard for me? (Jeremiah 32:27).

And this supposed impossibility is God's opportunity to display His glory and His power, if you are living in the Spirit, and if you have your eyes on the Lord.

Not every dead end is defeat.

Sometimes God positions us in a place where only He can act! (so that you may have a testimony)

Third Truth: Sometimes fear tries to speak louder than faith. (Exodus 14:10–12)

Exodus 14:10–12 NIV

10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. 11 They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”

The people grumble:

Vs.17..“ “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? ”

It's amazing how:

Fear makes us forget the miracles

Pressure makes us long for the past

But Moses responds with faith:

“Do not be afraid… the Lord will fight for you.”

Illustration – The Sea Does Not Open with Despair (Exodus 14:13–16)

Exodus 14:13–16 NIV

13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” 15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. 16 Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.

God says to Moses:

“Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to move on.”

The sea did not open:

With cries

With panic

With despair

The sea opened with obedience and faith.

Sometimes God doesn't change the situation immediately, but calls us to take a step of faith even with the sea ahead.

Fourth Truth: God Makes a Way Where There Is No Way (Exodus 14:21–22)

Exodus 14:21–22 NIV

21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, 22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

The impossible happens:

The sea opens

The ground becomes dry

The people cross

What was an obstacle becomes a path.

God still does this today:

Where there was fear, He creates a passage

Where there was impossibility, He manifests His power

Conclusion– The God Who Closes the Sea to the Enemy (Exodus 14:26–31)

Exodus 14:26–31 NIV

26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” 27 Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the Lord swept them into the sea. 28 The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived. 29 But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. 30 That day the Lord saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. 31 And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.

The same God who opens the sea for His people, closes the sea for the enemy.

The text ends by saying:

“the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.”

Trust is born when we see that God was faithful from beginning to end.

Personal APplication – Trust Even Without Control

Perhaps today you are:

Facing a “sea”

Surrounded by fears

Not knowing what to do

God brought you here to hear:

“March. Trust. I am in control.”

Today is the day to:

Surrender control to God

Renew your faith

Trust even without understanding

Close with giving two opportunities

Two Opportunities

#1 – Salvation: Trusting God for the First Time

Brothers and sisters, this text shows us a people who could only cross the sea because they trusted in God's direction.

But there is an even more important crossing: moving from the slavery of sin to new life in Christ.

The people left Egypt, but they were only truly free when they followed God's voice.

Similarly, it's not enough to know who Jesus is—you must trust in Him.

Perhaps you are here today:

Trying to control everything alone

Living in fear of the future

Feeling trapped by past mistakes

Jesus is the Lamb who opened the definitive path, through the cross.

Clear Invitation:

If today you wish to surrender your life to Jesus, recognizing that you need Him to cross this “impossible line,” where you are, place your hand over your heart or raise one of your hands.

Prayer of Salvation (led):

“Lord Jesus,

I recognize that I need You.

Just as Israel could not cross the sea alone,

I recognize that I cannot save myself.

I believe that You died on the cross for me and rose again.

Today I surrender my life into Your hands.

Lead me to a new life.

I trust in You as my Lord and Savior.

Amen.”

Pastoral closing:

If you prayed this prayer sincerely, know that God has opened a new path for you today.

Opportunity #2 – Renewal of Faith and Surrender of Control

Church, this text also speaks to those who already walk with God, but are afraid before the sea. Perhaps you:

Are following God, but don't understand the path

Feel you've lost control of the situation

Are surrounded by problems and see no way out

God brought you here to hear:

“March on. Trust. I am in control.”

Pastoral Invitation:

If you wish to renew your trust in the Lord, surrender control of your life again, and say:

“God, even without understanding, I will trust,”

stand where you are or come forward, as an act of faith.

Prayer of Renewal:

“Beloved Father,

I confess that many times I have been afraid and wanted to turn back.

Today I surrender control into Your hands.

Give me faith to march on, courage to obey,

And confidence to believe that You are in control.

Open paths where I see no way out.

In Jesus' name, amen.”

Concluding Prayer – Prayer of Total Surrender

Let us pray:

Lord our God,

Many times we do not understand Your ways,

But today we choose to trust.

When fear surrounds us and control slips from our hands,

We remember that You are the God who parts the sea.

Teach us to march by faith,

To trust in Your presence,

And to rest in Your power.

In Jesus' name, amen.