With God ... All Things Are Possible

Last week, we heard about a powerful king (Pharaoh) who really thought he was supreme god over all Egypt and the Israelites. I mean, he thought he was more powerful than God, and that he could just say, “NO,” to God and do whatever he wanted to do. God had to show Pharaoh HIS power and greatness through 10 plagues so that Pharaoh and all the earth would know that there is only ONE GOD. After the last plague, Pharaoh, finally, did let God’s people go.

This week, we are going to continue with that same story because it’s not over yet. God continues to SHOW HIMSELF to His people in INCREDIBLE ways. God leads His people out of
Egypt, where the people find themselves SANDWICHED between the Red Sea and the Egyptian’s. Things looked IMPOSSIBLE. It looked like they had no hope. It looked like they were in BIG TROUBLE, and the people of Israel were freaking out!! But... who was leading them?

Today, our story is found in Exodus 13 and 14. You can read it or you can watch the links below for a summary.

Boys and girls, the bible tells us that God Himself led His people out of Egypt.  YUP, that’s right. He was there!! 
Exodus 13:21 says: By day the Lord went ahead of them IN a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night IN a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. It wasn’t just that God sent a cloud and fire to lead them. HE WAS IN THE CLOUD AND IN THE FIRE.
It was like a HUGE parade leaving Egypt, that day. I want you to take a moment to think of some of the parades you have watched.
Who was leading those parades, and what is the BIGGEST parade you have ever seen??

Today, we need to use our imagination when we think of THE PARADE exiting Egypt, because we have NEVER seen anything like it! The bible tells us that there were 600,000 men (not including all the women and children) that left Egypt that day.  So, if you want to know how many people that is… think of all the people, put together, in the cities of Pickering, Ajax,
Whitby, Oshawa, Clarington, Uxbridge, Brock, and Scugog! There were more people leaving Egypt that day than all of the people in all of those cities. Most people imagine MOSES leading that parade, but it is very important that we read what the bible says, because this is a very important point. GOD was leading the parade IN a cloud by day and IN a column of fire by night.
 
Unscramble the words for the rest of the story. If you need help, you can look in Exodus 14:5-31 (New Living Translation).
 
Meanwhile, back in Egypt, Pharaoh and his officials changed their ______________ (simnd). “What have we done, letting all those Israelite slaves get away?” they asked. 6 So Pharaoh harnessed his ___________________ (tcihoar) and called up his troops. 7 He took with him _________ (060) of Egypt’s best chariots. 8 The Lord hardened the _______________ (tarhe) of Pharaoh, so he chased after the people of Israel. 9 The Egyptians ________________ (uagthc) up with the people of Israel. 10 As Pharaoh got closer and closer, the people of Israel
__________________ (aikdpnce). They cried out to the Lord, 11 and they said to Moses, “Why did you bring us out here to _________ (eid)? Why did you make us leave Egypt? 13 But Moses told the people, “Don’t be ______________ (arifde). Just stand still and ______________ (twach) the Lord rescue you today. 14 The Lord himself will ____________ (gifth) for you. Just stay calm.”  19 Then the ______________ (legna) of God, moved to the rear of the camp. The pillar of cloud also moved from the front and stood behind them. 21 Then ______________ (somes) raised his hand over the sea, and the Lord opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into __________ (yrd) land. 22 So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with ___________ (lawls) of water on each side! 23 The Egyptians—all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and charioteers— chased them into the middle of the sea.  26 When all the Israelites had reached the other side, the ___________ (DOLR) said to Moses, “Raise your hand over the sea again. Then the waters will rush back and cover the ________________ (gyepitasn) and their chariots.”  They tried to escape, but the Lord swept them into the ___________ (eas). Not a single Egyptian survived. The Lord _______________ (deucser) Israel from the Egyptians that day and God’s people put their ___________ (thaif) in the Lord and in his servant Moses.

Have you ever “panicked” like the Israelites did when they got sandwiched? What happened to you, and what did you do?
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God wants us to understand that He was not just with the Israelites, way back then. HE IS WITH YOU everywhere you go, too! No matter what you face, God can make a way for you, just like He made a way through the Red Sea for the Israelites. Nothing is too big or too difficult for Him. He wants us to put our faith and trust in Him. God is your Father. He sees you, even if you don’t see Him, and He loves you SO much. Talk to Him. Tell Him how you are feeling. Ask Him for help when you need it, and Expect Him to lead you, even through hard times. 
 
Let’s pray.
 
Father, thank you for showing us, today, how powerful you are. There is nothing too difficult for you. You are bigger than every problem we will ever face. We trust you, God. Please help us to get to know you and your love better and better every day. Help us to remember that you are with us and that we can ask you for help any time. You are a good, good God. Thank you for loving and protecting us. AMEN.