The Red Sea Rules Summer Book Club Week 1

The Red Sea Rules: Week 1

6/4/2019

The Red Sea Rules: The same God who led you in will lead you out. Rule 1: Realize that God means for you to be where you are.

“The sea was before them, Pharaoh’s hosts behind them, and the mountains around them. And all this, be it observed, permitted and ordered of God.”—C. H. Mackintosh

Friend, do you feel like this today?

We are so glad you've joined us!
We're going to meet here, as a group of like-minded, broken, wounded, desperate, empty, guilty followers of Jesus Christ, each Tuesday morning at 9:00, through August 6, for a Summer Book Club-Style Bible Study. It is going to be so encouraging!

This Bible study is designed for people just like us! We will study 10 God-given strategies for difficult times. We'll work our way through all 10 of The Red Sea Rules, 1 per week. The comment section will be used for discussion.

Want to read all 10 posts in one place? Download The Red Sea Rules eBook today!

“So, take a deep breath and recall this deeper secret of the Christian life: when you are in a difficult place, realize that the Lord either placed you there or allowed you to be there, for reasons perhaps known for now only to Himself. The same God who led you in will lead you out.” ―Robert Morgan, The Red Sea Rules

Still need to get the book? Click here to order or download your copy (less than $10 for the hardcover and less than $2 for the Kindle version).

If you can’t join us Tuesday mornings at 9:00, no worries. Anytime during the week, when it’s convenient for you, read that week’s chapter in the book and the corresponding blog post. Then join the conversation down in the comment section. Invite a friend to join us!

Red Sea Rule #1: Realize that God means for you to be where you are.

"But I will hope continually and will praise You yet more and more. My mouth will tell of Your righteous acts, of Your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge.

With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come; I will remind them of Your righteousness, Yours alone. O God, from my youth You have taught me, and I still proclaim Your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim Your might to another generation, Your power to all those to come. Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like You? You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again;

from the depths of the earth You will bring me up again. You will increase my greatness and comfort me again." Psalm 71:14-21

This morning we begin our study of the little book by Robert Morgan called The Red Sea Rules. The subtitle of the book is 10 God-Given Strategies for Difficult Times. I have so many friends that have been plunged into the deep, deep well of grief already in 2019. I myself am in the final stages of penning a book called The Heart That Heals: Healing brokenness through the promises of God. So I know this is a real problem for many of us, me included, and I'm excited about spending the summer with you diving deep into the Word of God and The Red Sea Rules!

Just this week I was rereading about Rule #1, and when I got done, I thought, Oh, I needed that! I had heard it before, but I needed to hear it again. We all need to be reminded time and again about what it means to trust God. I’m not alone here, am I?

Think about your own heartaches, and then think about the people that you have talked to this week. Think about the variety of struggles you have heard of just this week alone. How many of us are concerned about finances? Maybe you've got more bills than you have funds to pay them with. Some of you may be out of work, or your husband is out of work. We worry about the future. Some of us are in a difficult relationship with friends, a family member, or a spouse.

Is there any parent here who’s isn't concerned about a child? Maybe it's an adult child that's living a life away from God. Or maybe you're the child, concerned about aging parents? I find myself in both of those places today.

Maybe you have recently gone through a divorce or you see that as a possibility on the horizon. What about health problems? Have you received news about a serious illness? For some of us, this chapter of life is a tough time of transition. Maybe you’ve just moved and you’re trying to get established in a new place. Maybe a good friend of yours has just moved away. Or, like me, maybe your child has moved away. Those are big transitions. Difficult times. Perhaps a loved one has recently died, and you are trying to adjust to that tremendous loss. You know life will never be the same. I have a friend who just this spring lost her 6-year-old daughter (you can read about that here) and another friend who lost her best friend suddenly.

Trials! We all have them to different degrees, and we all need to learn how to trust God with them.

What does trusting God really involve?

One thing I love about The Red Sea Rules is that the book breaks down faith into ten identifiable segments. As a whole, it summarizes so well some of the basic biblical principles about what it means to trust God, and we need this!

Today, let’s look at the first rule: Realize that God means for you to be where you are. The trial you are facing is not the result of some colossal cosmic blunder. Your trial has not caught God off guard. This hardship is not something that has occurred outside of God’s control or apart from His love. God means for you to be where you are at this appointed time.

Rule number one: realize that God means for you to be where you are, is not something that the author of this book dreamed up by himself. It’s a principle of faith that we find throughout God’s Word. Think about the account that we find in the Old Testament book of Exodus. The Israelites are standing on the shore of the Red Sea. There in front them stretches what seems to be an endless and impassable expanse of water. Marching toward them from the rear are the vengeful armies of the Egyptian Pharaoh. The children of God are stuck!

“He knows the way He taketh,” even if for the moment we do not.”—J. I. Packer

How did they get into this situation?

Why are they standing there on the shores of the Red Sea? The Bible tells us that it is God who has led them there. Let’s look at what the Bible says about the Israelites in Egypt. The story begins in the book of Genesis.

As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. Then the LORD said to him,

"Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions." Gen. 15:12-14

This is where the story of the Red Sea begins. God told Abraham that his descendants would live in a foreign country. God knew what would happen to them in Egypt. He knew that they would become slaves in that country. But this passage also says that God would punish the Egyptians for the way that they enslaved His people and that He would rescue them from the bondage of Egypt. God knows what is going on. His people are securely in His hands. That is the story of the Red Sea in a nutshell.

This prophecy made to Abraham, of course, comes true. The Israelites do go to Egypt. At first life is good for them there. But then things take a turn for the worse. The Egyptians get worried about how many Israelites are living among them. They start to oppress the Israelites. They enslave them. They kill their babies. But then God raises up Moses to lead them out of Egypt. By following the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, God leads them right to the shores of the Red Sea.

On the shore of the Red Sea, the Israelites stand scared to death. But it is God who has led them there. It is God who has placed them in such a precarious situation. They are there by God’s appointment and for His purposes.

That’s the way that God works with His children. The New Testament tells us that we shouldn’t be surprised that we have to face trials and go through hard times (I Peter 4:12). When we feel overwhelmed by our circumstances, we should not think that God has abandoned us or made some mistake. Red Sea Rule #1: Realize that God means for you to be where you are. He has a purpose, and He has a plan.

The same God who led you in will lead you out.

The memory verse that goes along with rule #1 is Psalm 71:20:

"You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth You will bring me up again." Psalm 71:20

“You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again.” Isn’t that a remarkable statement? God, You have made me see many troubles and calamities. That’s a pretty bold statement, isn’t it? But I know, God, that I can count on You! I KNOW that You will revive me again.”

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Post Continued

What Rule #1 DOES NOT mean:

Let’s be sure that we understand what this rule DOES NOT mean. It is possible to misunderstand this rule altogether and apply it to our lives in a manner that is not biblically correct. There are three things that this rule does not mean.

First, it does not mean that everything is good. Rule #1 does not mean that you should try to tell yourself that everything that happens to you is going to be wonderful. No, there are evil things that happen in this world, and we should not play some kind of mental game and try to call evil things good. Think of the familiar story of Joseph found in the Old Testament book of Genesis. Joseph’s brothers sell him into slavery. That is evil. His brothers are wrong in doing that. Joseph becomes a slave. There is nothing good or glorious about being a slave. Then he is falsely accused of attacking his master’s wife and is thrown into prison where he sits for at least a couple of years. But God is with Joseph, and amazingly raises him up to be the second in command over all of Egypt. That's good and glorious! When his brothers come to Egypt, in search of grain to feed their families, it is Joseph who takes care of them. Joseph thinks about all that's happened to him and how God has used him to save those who wanted to get rid of him. The book of Genesis concludes with Joseph saying to his brothers, “So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt” (Genesis 45:8). Joseph was in Egypt by God’s appointment and for His purposes even though God used his brothers’ evil acts to get him there. To realize that God means for you to be where you are doesn’t mean that you have to pretend that everything is good.
Second, it also does not mean that everything is pleasant. That’s another way we misunderstand Rule #1. If we are where God means for us to be, we could perhaps conclude that we should be enjoying everything that’s happening to us. No, that’s not what it means. Think again of Psalm 71:20. “You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth You will bring me up again.” This verse pulls no punches! “God, the things I’ve gone through have not been fun!” ―Robert Morgan, The Red Sea Rules. All through the Psalms, we find statements like we find in Psalm 71:20. Psalm 44 stands out as another example of raw emotion being expressed to God. "O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, what deeds You performed in their days, in the days of old" (Psalm 44:1). For the first eight verses of that chapter the writer talks about how good God has been to His people. "But You have rejected us and disgraced us and have not gone out with our armies.... All this has come upon us, though we have not forgotten You, and we have not been false to Your covenant" (Psalm 44:9, 17). Listen to the anguished cries of verse 23: "Awake! Why are You sleeping, O Lord? Rouse Yourself! Do not reject us forever!" Do you feel the raw emotion there? That’s why I love the Psalms! The honest emotions that we all feel from time to time are there on full display! (See also Psalm 13, 22, 74, 88, and 89.) God places these Psalms in His Word so that you and I can learn from His children who have gone before us. To realize that God means for you to be where you are does not mean that you have to pretend that everything is good or everything is pleasant.
Thirdly, it also doesn’t mean that everything is clear. It doesn’t mean that you and I will always understand what's going on. We serve a God whose ways are mysterious (Romans 11:33) and whose peace passes ALL understanding (Philippians 4:7). Think about Jesus. The disciples pray to God in Acts 4. “For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your plan had predestined to take place.” (Acts 4:27-28). (See also Acts 2:22-23.) It is not a mistake that Jesus dies on the cross. Jesus is exactly where God means for Him to be. The disciples do realize that, but not until after His resurrection. However, before the resurrection they don’t understand what is happening. All they know is that the man they pinned all of their hopes on is dead. They are in total shock at what has happened to their Master. They don’t understand what God is doing at all! Don’t be surprised when that same kind of thing happens to you. The author of The Red Sea Rules states the idea well. “When you are in a difficult place, realize that the Lord either placed you there or allowed you to be there, for reasons perhaps known for now only to Himself.” God has His reasons, but He doesn’t promise to nor is He obligated to tell us what they are.

What Rule #1 DOES mean:

So, what DOES Rule #1 mean? It means that we say to God, “Lord, I don’t like what’s going on and I don’t understand what’s going on. But I believe that I am here in this situation by Your appointment and for Your purposes. I believe that just as You led me into this situation You will lead me out.”

Do you know the story of Ruth in the Old Testament? It's one of my favorites! There are only four short chapters in the book of Ruth. Ruth has lost her husband. She’s living in a foreign land. She’s poor and finds herself in a situation where she could be easily taken advantage of. However, and here's the kicker, she is also right where God wants her to be! God works behind the scenes and provides for her. She has the honor of becoming one of the ancestors of the greatest of Israel’s kings, King David. And the New Testament records an even greater honor. We know Ruth today as one of the ancestors of Jesus Himself (Matthew 1:5). Ruth went through all of her hardships by God’s appointment and for God’s purposes. The God who led her in also led her out. Can we just write that down in our journals today! "The God who led her in also led her out."

“Our God is a God who not merely restores, but takes up our mistakes and follies into His plan for us and brings good out of them.”—J. I. Packer

Think also in the New Testament about Peter. Peter’s example is especially important because Peter got himself into so much trouble! Remember how Peter makes that great boast to Jesus about how he is never going to deny Him? All of the other disciples may deny Him, but not Peter! Right? However, when the pressure is on, Peter caves, just like all the others. But that doesn’t catch God off guard, and it doesn’t stop God from fulfilling His purpose for Peter. Jesus says to Peter, “I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:32). That’s a fascinating statement. Jesus knows what Peter is going to do. He knows that Peter is going to turn away and deny Him. So before he even denies Jesus, Jesus talks to him about what he should do when he turns back. No surprise here! Jesus has a purpose for Peter even after Peter miserably fails. Have you miserably failed? Jesus has a plan!

Evil things may have happened that have caused you a great deal of misery. You may have all kinds of questions about why this has happened. But rest assured of this: God has not abandoned you or forgotten you. You are where you are by God’s appointment and for His purposes. The same God who led you in will lead you out.

“...in His good time He can bring me out again—how and when He knows. Let me say I am here, (1) By God’s appointment, (2) In His keeping, (3) Under His training, (4) For His time.” ―Robert Morgan, The Red Sea Rules

Read The Red Sea Rules: Week 2 here.

This week's discussion questions:

Red Seas comes in all shapes and sizes. What’s the Red Sea you’re focusing on for this journey?
Why is life so hard? Why do problems persist? Why do we encounter these Red Seas?
Be honest—how have you been initially reacting to your own Red Sea experience, whatever it is?
How can embracing Rule #1 affect your response?

Can I challenge you to memorize Psalm 71:20 with me this week?

"You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again;
from the depths of the earth You will bring me up again." Psalm 71:20

portions of this post are quoted from www.efcbemidji.org

29 Comments

April link

6/4/2019 09:42:34 am

Oh I've experienced many red sea moments, as we all have! I'm in one now in a few areas actually. It is the hope that God has a plan that allows me my freedom to feel peace. Of course I have my days where tears may come but I really do try not to linger there. I used to be a linger there person but God very lovingly but sort of "disciplinely" taught me a big lesson in how it's better not to linger in the "woe is me." I am so grateful that I can trust that He is in control and I trust in His goodness to put me exactly where is best for me.

Patsy Burnette link

6/4/2019 11:58:14 am

April, I love that you don't linger outside the peace that God gives us! It is so easy for us to get caught up in the "woe is me." I think it's one of satan's favorite traps for Christians. I'm so glad we have a God we can trust! Just to know that He has me right now right where He wants me to be—for such a time as this, is in itself a most comforting thought.

Jana link

6/4/2019 09:46:47 am

Wow. What a powerful study! I've never heard of this book, but your post is full of meaty encouragement and I love it! I look forward to following this series throughout the summer!

Our family was in a Red Sea experience for the past several years, and only in the last few months has God seen fit to lead us on to the other side. The Truth that everything we were going through was still completely in the hands of God, that He had a plan and a purpose and that He'd lead, guide, or carry us out of the depths kept me going moment by moment. He is faithful.

6/4/2019 12:04:26 pm

Jana, it's a great book! I just was recently gifted it by one of my daughters and I am so very thankful! The Red Sea experience means a lot of different things to different people. We all have them to varying degrees. Some are shorter. Some are longer. Some more painful than others. I think most everyone can benefit from this book. I've started gifting it myself. I love how you shared your vision of HOPE in the midst of your own Red Sea experience. He IS faithful!

Laurie Hess link

6/4/2019 09:54:20 am

I love the idea of an online book study. I always thing of the verse "Not as the world gives do I give to you," when I ask myself why life is difficult or even heartbreaking at times. God gives us everything we need, but not everything we want.

6/4/2019 12:12:32 pm

Laurie, I like this online thing too! It's truly come as you are—sweat pants, yoga pants, swimsuit, PJs... whatever. Everyone can join in at their connivence during the week. Seriously though, I am glad God provides our needs and not necessarily our wants. I know personally there have been "wants" that would not have been good for me, and He knows that. I love that He is the giver of peace, and not just any old peace. It's a peace that the world cannot understand or deliver. So let not our hearts be troubled today, and let us not be afraid! "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." John 14:27

Debbie

6/4/2019 10:06:56 am

My Red Sea is grief. A pain that I have not experienced personally in my 60+ years- the totally unexpected death of a beautiful, healthy granddaughter.

And in it all, God has been good. I have both seen and felt His presence all along the way and I have complete confidence that she is safe with Jesus. But....it hurts, it is disappointing, and I long to adjust. I want to find a new normal where she is remembered with joy and the pain is not so raw.

I believe God’s promises even when I don’t feel them. But as weeks turn into months and the burden feels nearly as heavy as the beginning I find myself expecting His Promises should mean an end date to the pain or a promise that our remaining children will always be safe and well. But that would be trusting an outcome...and God wants me to trust Him alone.

Realizing that this is where God means for me to be today eases the panic, restores the peace and provides the strength for me to focus on Him and live today in obedience in spite of how I feel.

It is not coincidental that long ago Psalm 71:18 became on of my prayers for my grandchildren. “...forsake me not until I have shewed Thy Strength to this generation”. He alone can use my Red Sea to accomplish it-to Him belongs all glory!

6/4/2019 12:32:02 pm

Debbie, friend, your Red Sea has been deep. But I've watched your child lead the way across the dry land God has provided. She has been, and continues to be, such a testimony of His goodness, grace and mercy. He is going to use her in a mighty way in the years to come! She now has a new ability to feel the pain of others and have compassion that she otherwise may not have ever had. I can just see as a NP how valuable that will be and how God is going to be able to use her in the lives of so many people!

I love how you say, "I believe God’s promises even when I don’t feel them. But as weeks turn into months and the burden feels nearly as heavy as the beginning I find myself expecting His Promises should mean an end date to the pain or a promise that our remaining children will always be safe and well. But that would be trusting an outcome...and God wants me to trust Him alone." <— That is beautiful! Painful, but beautiful at the same time.

I remember when our own tragedy happened. (I write tragedy, but actually it was all part of God's plan. Not tragedy. Not a surprise to Him.) It took a whole year to cycle through all the birthdays and holidays, anniversaries, etc. before we could begin our new normal. Things like the first Christmas, and you've already experience the first Easter— they are tough! I'm so thankful for a patient, loving Heavenly Father that walks with us through these times! Truly, He means for us to be where we are.

Rebecca Hastings link

6/4/2019 01:34:10 pm

This is so powerful. Not only in the big things, but also in the everyday hard places. The "my-son-is-struggling-in-school" or the "we-need-a-new-car" or even the "I-have-no-idea-what's-next." These are all known to God. I needed this reminder today as one or three of these things may be applicable right now!

Thanks for sharing!

6/4/2019 01:46:58 pm

Yes, Rebecca, we all have Red Sea moments. They may be big or small, but they (and we) are known to God. It's so refreshing to be able to trust Him in the big Red Sea moments and in the everyday Red Sea moments. And just to realize, that He either placed me here or allowed me to be here in this Red Sea moment, for reasons maybe only He will ever know, and STILL be able to trust Him... <— that's what I need for this day!

Lauren Renee Sparks link

6/5/2019 05:51:43 pm

A book club is such a great idea! laurensparks.net

6/1/2022 12:16:48 pm

I'm not sure where the idea came from, Lauren, but I have thoroughly enjoyed it! :) It's become an annual tradition now.

Aryn The Libraryan ? link

6/6/2019 11:01:55 am

I tend to shut down, stress out or wonder what I did wrong. Not in a punishment way but more of an a+b=c.

If we rest in rule #1, God will lead us out, it would turn our reactions down to a simmer instead of shutting down or boiling over on everyone around us.

6/6/2019 11:57:04 am

Thanks for being so transparent, Aryn! Great answer to question #3. Wondering what we did wrong reminds me of Job's friends who thought surely he had done something wrong. All the while, he trusted God with the outcome and eventually, God was glorified. But now I'm getting into next week's lesson a bit. Spoiler alert! :) Stay tuned...

6/6/2019 11:48:20 am

How are you doing on memorizing this week’s verse? 🤷🏻‍♀️

"You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth You will bring me up again." Psalm 71:20

I’ve been working on it, and that 5th line really struck me, “will revive me again.” It made me think of the song by W. P. Mackay “Revive Us Again.”

The fourth verse goes like this:
“Revive us again—fill each heart with Thy love;
May each soul be rekindled with fire from above.”

And the refrain:
“Hallelujah, Thine the glory! Hallelujah, Amen!
Hallelujah, Thine the glory! Revive us again.”

Isn’t that what we all need? REVIVAL! To one degree or another, each one of us needs to be revived, filled and rekindled.

Today, can we just acknowledge that God, in His overruling providence, has allowed us to be where we are at this moment, and we need to be revived!

If you need some ideas on how to be intentional about memorizing Scripture, hop on over to our Instagram. I’ve just posted a couple that work for me. 👋🏼 See you over there.

Michele Morin link

6/7/2019 07:39:17 am

What a great topic for a book discussion! My husband read this book some time ago, and raved about it. Gotta find our copy!

6/7/2019 07:56:26 am

Yes, Michele! Please find your copy and join us. I would love to have your spiritual input each week.

6/7/2019 07:54:20 am

The first of four discussion questions for this week is, "What’s the Red Sea you’re focusing on for this journey?" Several of you have chimed in already, so I guess it's my time.

My Red Sea currently is a book I am writing. The book is about a Red Sea experience in my life, and actually... I'm pretty much done writing. Apparently, that was the easy part. The book is now in the hands of the third and final proofer. It's also in the hands of several published authors who I have a great deal of respect for. An artist friend of mine is working on a cover and I have an appointment for a professional headshot next week.

I'll be real honest, I've never done this before. I've never published a book and it's not likely I ever will again. But I want to do this one right, and that's the Red Sea I'm focusing on for this journey.

I'm not standing on the shore with the Red Sea in front of me and the Egyptian army closing in behind. I'm treading water, right there in the middle of the big old Red Sea, waiting for God to lead me out.

I have no idea what I'm doing or how to launch a book. We have a publication date of September 1, 2019 and seriously, I don't know what to do next. I just keep praying and God keep showing me the next step.

That's the Red Sea journey I am focusing on today. I understand it's not huge, but we know that Red Seas comes in all shapes and sizes. So what are YOU focusing on for this journey? What's your Red Sea today?

6/7/2019 10:22:07 am

Will be praying! Can't wait to read it myself.

6/7/2019 06:38:28 pm

Thank you so much Debbie :) You are an encouragement to my heart!

6/8/2019 07:54:56 am

Discussion question #2 this week: "Why is life so hard? Why do problems persist? Why do we encounter these Red Seas?" Well... I don't want to be the one to say it *spoiler alert* but... for God's glory! We're going to cover this very subject next Tuesday. But for now... why IS life so hard, why do problems persist, and why do we encounter these Red Seas?

Why did my friend Kathy give birth to a beautiful baby boy that only lived for a few days?

Why did my friend Stephanie's best friend, who had so much potential in life, die tragically and suddenly?

Why did my friend Heather lose her sweet, 6-year-old daughter this past spring?

Why did my sister Ginger, on her way home from work, die at the hands of a drunk driver?

Life IS hard! There will be problems and Red Seas. However, in each of the above Red Sea encounters I have seen God glorified, and isn't that truly what it's all about?

Realizing that God means for you to be right where you are, how have you seen Him glorified in your Red Sea Experience?

Kathleen Alvito

6/8/2019 09:23:47 am

I am very thankful for this online Bible study. This book is just what I need. I have been going through Red Seas for a while now and I know that God is using this to give me insight and bring me closer to Him. I am 56 years old and for the last five years have dealt with anxiety and panic attacks. I really do want it to end so I can go back to my old life where I took everything in stride, but I do feel that this is bringing me closer to God and He has me through this. My daughters have suffered with anxiety and panic attacks and I think this gives me a better understanding of them. I really, really want this Red Sea to end, but I know that God has a purpose.

I am just thankful that He has brought this book and study into my life. I need to get the focus off of me and onto Him!!!

6/8/2019 10:50:21 am

Kathleen, I am so glad you have joined us! The Red Sea Rules is biblically based, and that is one of the things I love about it. You are wise Kathleen! Getting our eyes fixed on Him, knowing He has us, for a purpose, right where we are, right now, is the key!

And I am right where you are! I feel you! I'm about your age and have always been easy going up until about 2 years ago. I would encourage you to also check with your doctor to be sure these attacks are not menopause related. Menopause is such a weird thing! I'm glad though that this has given you some insight into what your daughters are going through. God is good!

6/9/2019 01:37:58 pm

Study Question #3: Be honest—how have you been initially reacting to your own Red Sea experience, whatever it is?

Wow! 🤦🏻‍♀️ This is a tough one. Honestly, I fought God when He said start a blog, and I did the same when He said write a book. I fought Him because I thought it wasn’t something I could do. And you know what? I was right. It’s not something I can do. But it’s something He can do through me. ❤️👍🏼 I know that’s a tiny Red Sea, but it’s the one I’m swimming 🏊🏻‍♀️ in today.

Whatever you are facing today friend, whatever Red Sea 🌊 you’re trying to cross, whether it’s tiny like mine or huge, know this—YOU ARE NOT ALONE! 🥰 You are where God has you for a purpose, and He is there with you. He will never leave or forsake you! (Hebrews 13:5)

THIS TODAY FRIENDS 👇🏼
Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls...

YET I WILL REJOICE IN THE LORD!
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

God, the Lord,
* He is my strength
* He makes my feet like the deer's
* He makes me tread on my high places.
Habakkuk 3:17-19

And a quote from Sunday School this morning: 👉🏼 “He takes us into our darkest night and asks us to put away all the lanterns and focus only on His light. And if that’s the only light we’re ever given, it is enough!” —Brian Black

Beth link

6/10/2019 08:28:08 am

Love these insights, Patsy! You've given me a lot to think about and remember when trials and troubles come. I'll be pinning!

6/10/2019 01:38:22 pm

Thank you Beth! The principles in God's Word are certainly something we can cling to in troubling times— and we'll all have them sooner or later. I love how The Red Sea Rules draws from the Word using Scripture as it's basis. It's comforting. It's reassuring. It's cling-worthy for sure!

6/10/2019 01:43:18 pm

So, our fourth and final study question for this week: How can embracing Rule #1 (realize that God means for you to be where you are) affect your response?

For me, it’s a two-part answer:
1. It grows my faith and trust in Him. I spend a lot of my time trying to get out of situations that God brings me into. My faith and trust is small. When I embrace the fact that God means for me to be right where He has me, it grows my faith and trust in Him.
2. It prepares me for the waiting. It seems I also spend much of my time waiting on the Lord. Mainly, because my timing and His are often so vastly different. I like to run ahead. He says, “Slow down.” I like to make things happen. He says, “Wait!” Knowing God means for me to be right where I am prepares me for the waiting.

I just want to thank every one of you who have participated in the discussion this week. April, Jana, Laurie, Debbie, Rebecca, Lauren, Aryn, Michele, Kathleen, Beth, thank you! You have been an encouragement to this girl’s heart. And all of you who are reading, but did not join in the conversation, I see you too. I see the numbers. I know you are there. God knows you’re there, and He knows your needs!

Kathleen

6/10/2019 04:51:50 pm

Knowing that I am right where God wants me to be "should" make it easier and give me peace, but sometimes I still like to go at my speed and I don't embrace the fact that I am where I am supposed to be. I am going to try to be more mindful of that fact and hopefully that will bring me peace in trying situations.

6/10/2019 05:22:31 pm

You are so right Kathleen, and I am so like you! I too like to go at my own speed. Sometimes God throws up speed bumps and sometimes it's roadblocks. This lesson has helped me focus on where He has me and being satisfied there.

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