Wei Chi

When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the LORD. They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” (Exodus 14:10-14 ESV). Our family has been very fortunate to be able to travel to many beautiful places. There is one place that I particularly recall because of its breathtaking view. From the edge of the Grand Canyon we sat and watched the sun set. Even with the pleas to hurry and leave from the younger boys who were ready to get going again, I recall the awe we felt as the colors of the canyon walls began to change with the fading of the light. It was inspiring. I also remember the caution Mary advised as I sought to get a better view by getting closer and closer to the edge. In fact, she told me that she would not allow me to get the boys that close. Something about, if I wanted to fall that was fine, but not her boys! She always has been a little wiser about those things than I. There's good news and bad news about getting real close to the edge. The bad news is that it is dangerous at the edge, you can fall off. But the good news is the view from the edge is spectacular! For you, that might be right now. You are at one of those points we all reach several times in our life, sometimes several times in a year! You're at the edge financially; with a son or daughter you don't know what to do with, or maybe in your marriage. It could be you're at the edge emotionally; you're not sure how much more you can take, or your responsibilities have gotten so heavy that they're taking you to the edge. Being close to the edge is dangerous, and it's an exciting place to be, too. If you're not so sure about that "exciting" part, you need to spend a moment in our reading today. If ever a group of God's people were at the edge, it's here. The ancient Jews have been delivered by God from their enslavement in Egypt and now they have made camp with the Red Sea in front of them. And the Bible says, "All Pharaoh's horses and chariots, horsemen, and troops pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea." Oh, great! Red Sea in front of them ... the most powerful army on earth behind them, in hot pursuit. We are at the edge, folks! But remember, it was God who led them to the edge. It usually is. If you're in the middle of a Red Sea Moment, it is most likely part of the great and loving plans of God for you. You know what happened when God's ancient people were at the edge. The Bible says, "The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground with a wall of water on their right and on their left." So why did God bring His people to this dangerous edge where there clearly seemed to be no solutions, no rescue? Perhaps it is for the same reason He has brought you to the edge. Perhaps He desires you to see a more spectacular view of Him than you have ever seen before! The Chinese word for "crisis" is the word "wei chi." The word has two figures in it, the top one means "danger," the bottom one means "opportunity." Now, in many ways, that's a Biblical view of a crisis moment you or I face. Yes, there is real danger. But, even more, there is a real opportunity for God to do something that will bring Him great glory and allow you to see His power in amazing ways, and to tighten your grip on His hand as never before. If God has led you to this edge, then you have every right to expect the miracle of God’s redemptive work in Christ to keep you safe. In any Red Sea moment you will ultimately see God part it. And once He does, you won't remember the danger much. What you'll remember is that spectacular view of God, and you'd never see it if you didn't go to the edge! It will change your life forever!