Red Sea Rules

So the other day someone donated a box of books to the T-Net the other day. I couldn’t resist nosing through them. I found several that I was interested in and asked if I could borrow them. Permission granted. Oh, what joy…new books!

The book that really grabbed my attention was a thin work by Robert J. Morgan, entitled “The Red Sea Rules.” The pre-title is “10 God-Given Strategies For Difficult Times.” The post-title is “The Same God Who Led You In Will Lead You Out.” I was hooked and intrigued. The one thing I didn’t want to find was another trivialization of difficulty and of scripture. So far, I’ve been impressed…and blessed.

Basically the author is saying that the 10 rules (strategies) can be found in Exodus 14, the passage describing the children of Israel facing the Red Sea as they were leaving Egypt.

He begins by supporting the thought that God works in ways that we cannot see and that He always will make a way of escape for His “weary, but waiting, children.”

“I [the Lord] will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Isa. 43:19, KJV)

“When you pray, keep alert and be thankful. Be sure to pray that God will make a way.” (Col. 4:2-3, CEV)

“The Lord will utterly…make a way to cross on foot.” (Isa. 11:15, NRSV)

“You can trust God. He will not let you be tested more than you can stand. But when you are tested, He will also make a way out so that you can bear it.” (1Cor. 10:13, Beck)

The first rule is: Realize that God means for you to be where you are.

The first chapters discuss difficulties that we face, including things like illnesses, financial reversals, disasters--things that happen to us, not because of anything that we have necessarily done. Great. I thought to myself. And then I quickly followed that up with, but what about me?

Then as I was reading in the quiet, sunshine this morning I stumbled into his chapter: What If It’s My Fault? I fell into the pages like Alice tumbling into the looking glass. Morgan made these points:
-(He spends a paragraph discussing confession and repentance and then he says) He (God) weaves everything together to advance His purposes.
-He then moves on to discuss self-forgiveness--always easier said than done. Here’s the quote: “Self-forgiveness comes when we realize that if God has forgiven us, we needn’t remain angry with ourselves, needn’t hate ourselves any longer. God will use it all for good.” (p. 15)
-Quoting Sidlow Baxter: There is a compassionate adaptability about God’s will for us,. Because we have not been in God’s special will for us from the beginning, there is no reason why we should not get into it now. He can take up from where we get right.”

Even if we end up at the Red Sea because of something foolish we have done: He can still make a way!

I’m ready for Rule #2…I think.