Liberation From Your Limitations – Part One
Exodus 14: 26 – 31
“and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the seashore.”
Jesus is in the recycling, refurbishing, renewing business. Graphically it is described: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (II Cor. 5:17).
A historical illustration of this involved the Israelites being delivered from Egyptian slavery. By the authoritative power of heaven, the Lord God Jehovah had parted the waters of the Red Sea and let them cross on dry land. The waters were released to flow in their normal course when the Egyptians pursued. The inundating waters drowned the tyrannical Egyptian slave masters. When the waters were calmly flowing in their natural channel, the Israelites went back down to the shore and our text tells the story of what they found: “Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the shore.”
Can you imagine? These well-trained, strong bodies still in their impressive uniforms represent the greatest national power on earth. It must have been strange to walk so near to the lifeless body of a guard who had beaten you; a soldier who had taunted you, and a warrior who had struck terror in your heart at the very thought of him. The very ones who had held them as captive slaves, their masters, were now lifeless, powerless — dead.
Preceding this experience, the Lord had given the people instruction as to what to do. “Speak to my people that they go forward.” They did obediently and this victory resulted.
Today Jesus Christ wants to set people free from enslaving habits. He wants you to see the dead body of the guard that has held you as a captive slave. You need to envision your enslaving tormentor as “dead on the seashore.”
Follow these steps. Think descriptively of the habit that masters you. If there is a negative controlling influence in your life, think in detail about what the controlling force is doing to you.
Next, decide if you want to break the enslaving force. Do you genuinely want to be free from it?
If so, get alone with the Lord. With all the shame and regret of it, tell the Lord about it as if He does not know of it.
Now, ask Him to guide your efforts to be made in His name to break the bondage of your habit. See that habit as dead on the shore.
“…put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4: 22 – 24).