The Red Sea Rules: Week 1

“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.

1. 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.
   
   
2. 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.
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3. 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:

1. Red Seas comes in all shapes and sizes. What’s the Red Sea you’re focusing on for this journey?
2. Why is life so hard? Why do problems persist? Why do we encounter these Red Seas?
3. Be honest—how have you been initially reacting to your own Red Sea experience, whatever it is?
4. 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