Vessels of ComfortLifeline for Today Wednesday, February 14, 2024

And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. (Exodus 14:10)

The second misconception about miracles is that we confuse the miracle as the destination. The Israelites were in great distress. They knew their enemy – the cruelty of the Egyptians and the price they would pay if captured and returned. The word of the Lord says when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Isarael lifted their eyes and saw the Egyptians marching after them. In this moment, everything they feared was realized. It was at that time that their journey became secondary, and the miracle became primary. 

When I worked in outpatient mental health, we served people who really struggled in life. Depression. Schizophrenia. Alcohol and Drug Dependence. Estranged from Families. Living on the Street. You get the picture. When they came to see us, the one thing that drove our clinical relationship was their goal. Their goal was not that they wanted to be mentally stable or have less symptoms. Their goal was their destination—where did they want to go.  It would take, in many cases, miraculous things to get them there. 

You see, many times the enemy wants us to think that the miracle is the goal, but it is just the means to the promise. It isn’t the promise. We must put wide-angled glasses on and think bigger than the enemy thinks. He wants us stuck in the details. If only I can be healed. If only I could get married. If only my child would get out of the streets. No one can stop God’s plan for your life. Isaiah 14:27 declares, “The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has spoken-who can change his plans? When his hand is raised, who can stop him?”

PRAYER: Lord, give me your vision so that I don’t get stuck in the details. The miracle is only the means to the promise, but it is not the promise. Let me focus on you so that I don’t get lost in the day-to-day concerns of life. Let me wholly trust you with my all.