Are we afraid of the power of God?

by Stephanie Lacy

When the children of Israel were called out of Egypt, we see the steps it took them to leave the four hundred year oppression. Pharaoh used the children of God to build Egypt’s greatest structures. And those pyramids you see standing, were built on their backs. God had to take Moses and set him apart for a mandate; A mandate to free God’s people.

Of course God gave some grace to Pharaoh allowing him several opportunities to simply release the people of Israel, but he was unbelieving that God was the one true God! God gave Pharaoh chance after chance to listen and obey but instead he reaped one plague after another, one harsher than the last. It finally shifted when God called His children to cover the tops of their doors in blood insuring that when death passed over, their first-born would be safe from death. This was a picture of what was to come, the salvation through the blood of Jesus.

Pharaoh got the message after death passed over and took his child. He was warned, but did not obey God Almighty. He then released the children of Israel. But it was the journey after this for the children of God that proved to be more difficult. They came to the Red Sea and Pharaoh still not accepting their leaving came after them with everything he had. What seemed impossible and had many of the children of God perplexed and was even yelling at Moses (who had just set them free) “have you brought us out here to die?” Some were even angry with Moses that he would take them from Egypt at this point. Believe it or not, to them Egypt had some comfort with it. It was all they knew! After all we are talking about a good 4-5 generations of being in Egypt since Joseph’s entrance.

Standing at the Red Sea and looking back at Egypt they were now all in and were at a crossroad. But there was no road! Moses, being the only one hearing from God had to stop and get instruction. He placed his staff into the Red Sea and it parted! God knew the timing of when Pharaoh’s army would get to them. God did the work to even hold them back! They moved across the bottom of the sea and reached the other side. The sea (water) was a picture of the baptism. And the blood over there doors prior to that was a representation of the blood of Jesus Christ.

Follow me here. We have the first two elements to being rejoined with God, the blood of Jesus and the baptism of SALVATION. They applied the blood, which protected them from death. And they walked into salvation (from the enemy’s hand) through the water out into the other side!

So. What comes next? The next was to be the journey to get closer to God and obey the instructions to receive the Promised Land. It was God’s desire for the people to hear directly from Him as a collective. But when God spoke through the fire (the Holy Spirit) they were afraid for their lives! Most were so terrified they were going to die because the presence of God was so powerful they actually asked God to just speak through a prophet instead!

I believe NOW what we see is there are a lot of people who have been covered by the blood, they have received salvation and the path of God. BUT THEY ARE AFFRAID OF THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT! They are afraid of His power in them. And you know God granted their petition. God wasn’t going to kill them! But they were terrified of Him. Believe it or not, their decision is why there have been prophets instead of God’s fiery presence. And I truly believe that God really wanted to speak directly to His people as a whole. But He is a perfect gentleman isn’t He? That is how much He loves us. Moses then had to depart and encounter God’s glory in His own to deliver the instruction book. It is what they asked for right? But why were they fearful of God when they saw Him do what is impossible for man on their behalf? They couldn’t see HIS LOVE FOR THEM. They didn’t see how He covered them by blood; they didn’t see that He made a way to Him BECAUSE HE LOVED THEM. This is what the spirit of bondage does. It blinds us from seeing the love of GOD! They were still unbelieving. Let’s face it. They were worshipping a golden calf when Moses came down from the mountain! What if they hadn’t asked God to use the prophets to speak through? What if they allowed themselves to withstand the power of God’s presence? Only God knows. Today we have the trifold. We have the redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ, the baptism of salvation and path, AND WE HAVE THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT that was released at Pentecost. Don’t be afraid of the power of God. Receive His fullness to do WHAT HE DESIRES TO DO through you. It is HE. He desires our full vessel. Why? IT IS BECAUSE HE LOVES US THAT MUCH.