Here it is May. A time of transition and change. Students graduate from high school and college. Families put their homes up for sale. New jobs are ahead. Although these changes may be eagerly anticipated, and eventually lead to good things, not all change comes without its fear.
One of the greatest times of transition and change recorded in the Bible is found in Exodus chapters 13-14. And it was full of fear.
In the story of the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt, God did not take them the shortest route to the promised land. Because he knew they were not strong enough yet to face the Philistines and conquer the land he would eventually give them, God took his people a roundabout way instead. You might say he took them the long way home.
Sometimes he does the same with us, don’t you think?
We see a direct line between where we are and where we want to be, but from God’s perspective, he sees things differently. He doesn’t always take us the shortest route because he knows our strengths and he knows our weaknesses.
The Israelites questioned, grumbled, complained and resisted God the whole way. They didn’t realize the road God chose for them led away from disaster, not toward it. They didn’t understand receiving God’s deliverance meant obeying him. They didn’t want to accept the fact that in order to be delivered from bondage, they had to follow the route God laid out in front of them.
We do that too, don’t we? We want God to deliver us from our bondage, whatever that looks like for each of us, but when he tells us to follow him the long way home, we balk. When he tells us we have to be obedient to his law, his rules, his way, we cry out like the Israelites, and decide we’d rather die where we are than go one step further on the path God has laid out.
When we read the story of the mass of humanity caught between the waters of the Red 
Sea and Pharaoh’s army, we read a story of fear, and rightly so. I doubt many of them were expert swimmers.
The odds didn’t look too good from where they stood. When Moses told the people not to be afraid, to stand firm and see God’s deliverance, I’m sure more than one of those Israelites thought he was loco.
But then Moses added the reason why they needed to cease being afraid. He told the Israelites the LORD would fight for them. They only needed to be still.
The same God who delivered the Israelites from Pharaoh’s army and safely led them across a dry river bed is the same God who delivers us from the armies and seas that trap us. Following God does not mean all will be smooth sailing. No sirree. Anything but.
If we follow God, we will face frightening experiences. Guaranteed. The challenge, however, is to put our potentially frightening circumstances and situations up against the all-powerful Lord God Almighty. The One who is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Change can be frightening. The unknown can be frightening. Transitioning from one phase of life to another can be frightening. The thing we need to remember during those times of transition is the fact anything we might fear is nothing compared to the God who goes before us and leads the way.
I wish you well,
Sandy
