Abundance has a way of causing people to get stuck. On one hand, there is the abundance of good. Success, notoriety, blessings, and even happiness gives us a desire to never abandon that place of joy. On the other hand, there exists an abundance of bad things – the relentless assault of pain, hurt, trauma, and stress, all of which can cause us to give up, throw in the towel, and surrender our efforts to fear and exhaustion.
In either case, whether for good or bad, abundance has the uncanny ability to cause us to become stuck! Stuck on the loss of a loved one, stuck on the pain of divorce, stuck on the love someone once gave us, stuck on what we have done for others…and JUST LIKE Al Bundy, stuck on the successes of our past!
No matter what place you are stuck in, it’s time to move forward and live life! Let’s see how God intends for us to free ourselves from the stagnation:
Exodus 14:15-16 (KJV) And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: 16But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.
The children of Israel were released from Egypt. Unfortunately, they then found themselves in an uncompromising situation. They were stuck… mountains too impossible to climb on their left and right, the impassable Red Sea in front of them, and the bondage of their past coming back to kill and enslave them from the rear. They were stuck! Delivered…but stuck. Free…but stuck. Miserable…but stuck. Hopeful…but stuck!
It’s in that place that God spoke to Moses, explaining how to change his position in such a predicament. God speaks to us similarly.
- Stop crying about you’re position!
To paraphrase, God said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell them it’s time to move forward!” In other words, God was simply emphasizing the fact that the last thing Moses needed to be doing was complaining about what happened to bring him to that present moment! Stop complaining, stop crying, wipe your tears, and move forward!
Because we have a preview of the account of the children of Israel, and we are not living it first-hand, we already know that they were stuck in a place of stagnation, ready to quit. Yet, this is EXACTLY where God wanted them! So, stop crying about where you are or how you got there…understand that God has you right where He wants you so you can defy the odds! You may feel stuck in this moment, but He won’t let you remain this way indefinitely!
- Use what you already have!
Being creatures of motivation, we tend to look to others for hope, help, and encouragement. And if we get stuck, we want someone who is NOT stuck to help us get “unstuck.” But God tells Moses to use what’s in his hands because it’s enough to change his situation!
2 Kings 4:2 (KJV) And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.
2 Corinthians 4:7 (KJV) 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
Romans 8:18 (KJV)
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
The remaining pot of oil, the treasure inside of you, and the glory that is revealed through suffering all indicate that you already have what’s needed to be a catalyst of change! You may think you don’t have enough and that you can’t do what’s necessary with what you have but God says you already have enough! Use what’s been provided to you!
Judges 6:14 (KJV)
And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?
- Move quickly…and without your past!
The most overlooked message comes at the end of this verse. As the children of Israel pass through the sea, God foretells that they’ll walk on dry land. But how? How can you walk on a seabed in the absence of mud? What’s the significance?
Theoretically, it’s impossible. Water and dirt produce mud, but God said it to reveal spiritual significance. Relatedly, there are two things we need to know about mud:
1. Mud slows your footsteps.
2. Mud goes where you go.
God doesn’t intend your forward progress to be hindered or slowed. Rather, He wants you to move quickly and with purpose! And once you move, don’t muddy your place with the footprints of your past! Let it go! Let them go! Move beyond the hurt, pain, and depression! It’s time to move forward…and that means it’s time to leave your past behind in its entirety. Don’t track up your new house, new car, new relationship, or your new PEACE with the mud of your past! Leave it where it is, and move forward! If you’re stuck, it’s time to move forward and leave your past mistakes, hurts, and pains behind! You can do it!
Originally posted on December 4, 2018 @ 12:30 AM