Trapped

Trapped!

Review last week...Laura started us on journey to follow story of Israelites and see how whether we can apply their experiences today. Moses…resistance…do it anyway!

Want to continue on as we look at the lives of those early Israelites…

After the point where we left off last week, God continued to speak through Moses and his brother Aaron and brought various plagues to Egypt, demonstrating his power over the various Egyptian gods...Eventually Pharaoh had enough and told Moses to take his people and go…

Exodus 13:17-14:31 tells the story in detail...let’s watch this video depicting this great moment in history…

God led the people out into the desert-with a pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night to guide them right to the edge of the Red Sea. About the same time, Pharaoh changed his mind about letting them go…Here they are with their first taste of freedom in 430 years facing an uncrossable sea on one side and certain death on the other.

How do you think those Israelites felt when they realized the Egyptians were coming after them? They were faced with the sea on one side, and certain death from the Egpytians on the other…they had no place to go…

How do you think they felt? (get responses esp. from kids)

Trapped, scared, worried, abandoned…etc…

Bible says they were terrified and said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egpyt that you brought us into the desert to die?”

They were certain that this was the end for them!

Have you ever felt something similar to that? Trapped…no place to turn …you look at your situation and can’t find any possible solution…you’re frightened, worried, scared..you don’t know what’s going to happen to you…

Prompt for some responses…esp from kids. (kid’s picking on you, peer pressure, did something parents will be upset with….more grown up responses: financial problems, job problems, late for impt event and everything going wrong, feeling rejected, alone, left out, “friends” laughing at you…peer pressure...don’t know what the future holds…etc)

Kids…while I am talking now, I’d like to have you draw a picture for me of soemthing you’ve felt worried about and how you think God might help you with it...really, doesn’t have to just be the kids…if anyone else likes to draw…go ahead…let’s see what you come up with!

When the Israelites were in this situation, the thing they needed to realize was that god had a plan. He had already promised to deliver them, and needed them to lean to trust him no matter what happened.

The bible is filled with the promise of God’s faithfullness and that he has a plan for those who trust in him.

Numbers 23:19-“God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, “ declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

God makes the same kind of promise today to all those who have accepted Jesus in their lives and love God.

If you’ve been following the bible reading plan we introduced a few weeks ago you came across this verse in Romans 8:28

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

In ALL THINGS, He is working on your behalf…to fulfill his plan for your life.

Isn’t that a relief? For anyone who doesn’t know God yet, wouldn’t it be great to have that kind of hope?

Proverbs 18:14 says, “A man’s spirit sustains him in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?”

If you have no hope to lean on in tough times, your spirit is crushed. But the hope that comes from knowing that God is working in your life fills your spirit and sustains you in the hard times…

Over and over the Bible reminds us of this so that we will remember in times of trouble. Whenever you feel trapped, or worried or scared and you don’t know which way to turn…whenever you are dealing with the pain and frustration of past hurts in your life…that keep coming back to haunt you…remember that God is right there with you.

In fact, sometimes God even allows us to experience those difficult times so that we will remember he is there for us. It’s all too easy for us to convince ourselves that we have no need for God if we dodn’t face any trouble. Sometimes God allows us to experience trouble so that we will remember to turn to Him and relalize that we NEED Him.

(ask kids to see what they have come up with)

If you have any doubt about God’s faithfulness, let me share a few things with you…

There are numerous examples of God working to help His people in times of trouble. I’ve been around when a stranger came out of nowhere to help change the tire on a stranded vehicle…

I’ve seen just the right amount of money come through for people from unexpected sources…and the giver often says, “I just felt that God wanted me to give you some money…and this was the amount he prompted me to give…

I’ve heard of doctors scratching their heads saying, “I guess we don’t have to operate after all, “ or “That’s wasn’t nearly as difficult as I thought, “ or “Boy, you’ve recovered from that surgery much quicker and better than expected.”

Medical schools often have a religious or spiritual studies dept today….statistics show that people who pray or have others praying for them, typically recover faster/better than average..

I have been told stories of missionaries looking down the barrel of a shotgun, hearing the blast and walking away unscathed.

And I have personally felt trapped in a situation, not knowing which way to turn, and calling out to God for help because I just couldn’t go on any longer…only to have Him transforn the way I thought about my life in an instant…which has enabled me to stand here today and tell you these things…

God does have a plan for you and is there to help you through the tough times..

Reminder: Jer 29:11

Whether were dealing with a stressful situation in life or a bad habit we keep turning back to…Whenever we are feeling trapped, alone, rejected, or hurt…people around you are disappointing you and letting you down and you feel like your about to just break down and cry because you can’t go on any longer…know that God will always be there!

He told the Isrealites in Exodus 13:13-14, “The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”. And then he opened the sea, provided a way out and wiped away their enemies…

God wants to do the same for you…let him fight for you…trust him to provide the way…. You need only be still and He’ll always be there for you…