Exodus 13:19  Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear to do this. He said, “God will certainly come to help you. When he does, you must take my bones with you from this place.”

Sacred promises endure across ages and as long as necessary. Prophecies spoken as God gives voice are truer than true. Joseph’s one last dream was finally coming to fulfillment. What has God said to you that you still await? Some things are worth waiting for. 

Exodus 14:10-14  As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the Lord, and they said to Moses, “Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’” But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”

“Better a slave than the resident of a grave!”

The chant wore on and on. It became tiresome to Moses, but there wasn’t a thing he could do about it. Stuck between the devil and the deep Red Sea, only God could write a storybook ending where they all lived happily ever after. 

And so he did. 

Listen to the words of people panicking. 

“Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness?
Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt?
What have you done to us?
Why did you make us leave Egypt?
Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt?
We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians.
It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭14‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today.
The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again.
The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭14‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Calm is a state of being founded on faith in the One who never fails. It is fearless. It is confident. It is enduring. Most of all, it is well honored by the Giver of All Good Things, the One who saves, delivers, and heals. 

Here 430 years to the day from when this long story began, it concluded with high drama and breathless resolution. God does no small things. He does all things well.

Here we have a trinity of Sunday morning lessons.

1. God keeps his promises and makes dreams come true. 
2. God fights the fight and provides the light. (See 14:20.)
3. God’s presence and provision replace panic with calm. 

In light of these truths, how should we respond?
* Praise God for who he is. 
* Thank God for what he has done. 
* Trust God in all things at all times.

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I will enter worship with gratitude and adoration.

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Our Father, you keep every promise. You make dreams come true. You protect us and defend us. You show the way and go the way with us. You provide your fearsome and loving presence to calm our terrified and worrisome hearts. You are everything we need, and more. Amen.