Advance

Friday, January 20

Advance

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground. Exodus 14:15,16

Even if we desperately wanted to, had so much in the bank that money did not matter or were wiser than King Solomon we cannot go back in time. No matter how much you tried, you cannot relive yesterday. This means the only option we are given is to move forward. Therefore God instructs Moses to stop wasting time crying out instead He says to Moses tell the people to get moving! Or, as the Authorized Version has it, “Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward.” The direction which God has in mind for his people is always forward. It was true of Israel. Right here in this passage, as they face the waters, on one side and the Egyptians on the other, he urges them on. The same thing is also true of Christians today in their spiritual life and their service. “Let us go on to maturity” (Hebrews 6:1); “Go into all the world and preach the good news” (Mark 16:15) – these are fundamental exhortations, and they are forward-looking.

The whole emphasis of God’s word is advance. Don’t stop to weep. Keep moving forward Continue marching on. Its characteristic pictures of the godly life emphasize this forward movement: it is a pilgrim journey leading to the eternal city. It is a grueling race to win a glorious prize (Phil. 3:13-14). “Forward!” should be our attitude toward the opportunities of the hour. “God is always advancing,” said author Hudson Taylor.