Focus: Facts Versus Faith

Text: Ex.14:3.

"For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in."

Israel appears entangled at the Red Sea. The Egyptian army is right behind them. The people of Israel feel trapped. They are now unable to reconcile the seeming contradictions between the promise land flowing with milk and honey and the seemingly impassable Red Sea before them - Ex.3:8,17. All they are seeing now is their imminent death. The people feel helpless and hopeless. They feel sorry for themselves and see only their sudden end. They feel deceived and betrayed by Moses. They see themselves as fools to have listened to Moses in the first place, even to the extent of stepping out of Egypt with him.

There is faith and there are facts. Faith is based on what God says - on the promises of God. Facts are based on empirical evidences or on things as they appear. Fact and faith are diametrically opposed one to other. They don't align or agree. God uses faith. Satan uses fact. On the journey of faith we meet with oppositions known as the odd facts. The Red Sea before and the Egyptian army behind are really the odds - the bare facts. Facts are obstacles to faith. Facts frighten our heart and threaten our faith.

Moses stands his ground and follows God's instructions, that in the end, the people of Israel find themselves on the other side of the Red Sea, safe and sound. The Word says, "So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea..." - Ex.15:22.

Have faith in God. You will reach and possess the promise land. The odds in your life right now cannot stop you. The naked facts will eventually bow to your faith in God. The Red Sea shall give way. You will walk on dry ground. You will not drown. You will not sink. The word of God shall come to pass in your life. Facts are subject to change. Faith is anchored to God's unchanging truth.

Resist the odds and insist on your faith. Amen.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter