THOUGHTS FROM EXODUS

And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid, Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever."

Exodus 14:13

I wanted to write a few lines since I haven't posted anything for most of the week! Isn't this a great verse? I have this one underlined in my Bible for encouragement. The Israelites were just beginning to learn about the character of the God to whom they were trusting their lives! Their backs were against the wall, so to speak. There they stood, finally out of the slavery of their former home and yet pursued by their taskmasters. The Red Sea was on one side and the pursuing Egyptian army on the other. (I encourage you to read several chapters both before and after this verse to get the whole story!)

Moses assures them to avoid fear, stand still, and watch what God will do. Moses puts all the burden of their "salvation" on God, encouraging them that they just have to rest in His provision. How often do we try to take on the roles that only God can occupy in our lives? We try to run ahead and see to all the details when in reality we are just supposed to stand still and see God accomplish our deliverance. I am so guilty of that so often. Learning to rest in the wonderful character and power of our God is a lifelong endeavor. With each new day, each new trial, each new circumstance, we have an opportunity to cast our cares on God and watch Him deliver us.

Of course, in saying that, we must also realize there is a time for us to act on His word and do the things He asks. We don't always just sit back and assume God will do everything. This is part of discerning what to do, and when to do it. There is a learning process where we discover how to rest in what He will do. The wonderful promise at the end of the verse is that they would see their enemies no more forever! It is truly a victorious occasion when we know that the various things in life that are "Red Seas" to us are once and for all behind us. Gaining victory over the things that plague us or challenge us is sweet indeed!

I hope this encourages you. Thanks for praying for our family this week. Mom got through surgery fine and we brought her home today. We are believing for a quick recovery that will see her up to her usual energetic self in record time. She had wonderful care and was attended by at least one very nice Christian nurse. It is always comforting to meet other believers when you are in challenging situations.

I tried to get a picture on here today, but the computer woudln't cooperate. I have one from the August trip to Tennessee that I want to post but will try again tomorrow. The busy week accounts for us not being able to get to a different computer to post the rest of the vacation pictures. Blessings, LORI

Here are a few pictures from our Tennessee trip. This first one is "General Cheatham." He is the resident cat at the Carter House in Franklin. A major battle of the Civil War took place in the backyard of this home. Bullet holes are still abundant and visible in the wood siding on the backporch--right above the 'General!' Dr. Dobson had the story of this battle on his radio program some time ago. The place was fascinating. Our tour guide was a Christian and he was very knowledgeable.
This is a really "scary" picture" of me having a bad hair day! I was posing by the old fashioned soda fountain at an old drugstore in Cross Plains, TN. We had a Coke made the old way. The girl pumped the syrup into a cup, added carbonated water and stirred! Wow! What a wonderful old fashioned experience.

See me on the porch above? don't I look short? What a beautiful old mansion. This is Rippavilla. We had toured the home on our last trip. Several Confederate generals met there to strategize before the battle. This historic home is just outside Spring Hill. There is a family cemetery and beautiful gardens on the grounds. The next picture is me eating traditional southern food at the Loveless Cafe near Nashville. It is an old motel that was turned into a restaurant and gift shops. They serve wonderful food. I was eating sweet potato fries and you can see I had okra and turnip greens still on my plate!

This last picture is of my Great, Great Grandfather's grave in the New Albany national cemetery, New Albany, Indiana. This town is on the Ohio river just over into Indiana. My grandfather enlisted in January 1864 and died July 2, 1864 while walking home from the war. We don't know many more details, except that a son was born into the family after he left for war and he never saw the boy. We have my grandpa's picture in uniform and are trying diligently to locate more information about him. We suspect he died of disease because grandparents always said he had been a prisoner of war. We are unsure.

More pics hopefully on the next post. Have a blessed day! LORI