In episode 212, “Moses and the Red Sea”, Brooke & Faren discuss the meaning of Exodus 14:13-15 when Moses asks for direction and guidance from God. Hear how this Bible story helps us learn to be calm in the face of adversity with situations that feel impossible to overcome. We use our © Read Pray Talk Tell Method to discover ways we can practically live this scripture out in everyday life. The Kid Classics mini series begins on episode 209 and goes through episode 218 of the Witty & Gritty podcast.
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Reading the Impossible
If you’ve been playing along at home for our Kid Classics mini series, you’ve seen us cover Adam & Eve, Noah and the Ark, and Joseph and his brothers. This week’s episode will cover a scripture we find in Exodus. Here are the “Brooke Notes” in bullet form (also read Exodus 1-14):
- The Israelites multiply greatly in Egypt (remember the famine and Joseph)
- Pharaoh freaks out because of this and enslaves all of them
- God is going to free His people, so he send Moses to let Pharaoh know
- Pharaoh is a meanie, God sends plagues, Pharaoh tells Israelites to get out
- Just kidding! Pharaoh changes his mind and chases after them
- Moses and friends are now in between the Egyptian army and the Red Sea
After 430 years of slavery, Moses still holds onto the promise God gave the Israelites, but they’re stuck literally in between two impossible paths. Good thing God is God. Here’s our scripture for this week:
“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.’ Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving!'”
Exodus 14:13-15
God parts the Red Sea, the Israelites cross on dry ground, and the Egyptians are swallowed up by the sea. Wow, won’t He do it? Through God, it’s possible!
Praying for Calm Obedience
Picture it, you’re in between an army and a sea and have no way out. God said he would save you, but you just cant’ see how it’s possible. Maybe God will send a boat, or strike the army down. Not in this story! God does something that our minds can’t even wrap around; He parts the sea.
Let’s go back and look at our scripture. What did God tell them to do?
- Be calm and still
- Don’t be afriad
- Know God fights for you
- Listen and obey
We can take this list, and pray over it when we’re feeling like Moses and the Israelites. Different Bible translations give slightly different words (still the same meaning), so try a couple out, and see which wording resonates with you best.
Praying is also listening. When God tell the Israelites to get moving, they do! Let’s also listen to the intent to obey when we pray. When God says move, let’s go for it! Let’s use Moses and the Red Sea as a guide for us in times like these.
Talk About Fears
Let’s get vulnerable! Think of your life group (home group, community group, etc…). Do you share what you’re afraid of with them? It seems that some groups run on the philosophy of “what happens in our house stays in our house”, and if sin is put in the dark, it festers. Let’s be bold, and be willing to get outside help and counsel. In “Moses and the Red Sea”, we give examples of what this looks like and what’s appropriate.
When to share and when to keep private can be a fine line. There is still the stigma is if you’re vulnerable, you’re not strong. That philosophy is what satan wants you to think (you must be strong and pretend everything is fine). Please know that when we are weak God is strong. Let’s find our strength in Him in what seems like impossible situations. Remember why your are sharing and think about your heart posture in the process.
Here are a few questions to ask your group. Keep 2 Timothy 1:7 in mind when addressing fears:
- What are your trouble ares?
- Where is the fear coming from?
- Could ego or critical mindset be in the way?
Tell How to Combat Fear
Teaching kids how to pray is one of the best things you can do for your family. Whatever you see in the “Pray” sections can be easily conveyed to kids, so have fun including them in our Read Pray Talk Tell episodes. A powerful takeaway we can give our kids is that God can and will do the impossible. If He can turn a sea into a highway, He can do that for you too. Leverage the power of reflection to show your children how God has made impossible situation, possible.
We address nightmares in this episode. If you’ve been around the podcast for a bit, you may know that Brooke regularly has nightmares. In “Moses and the Red Sea”, we discuss helpful verses, prayers, and tips that you can share with your children. This will equip them for when nightmares occur. Prayer is more productive than counting sheep.
We hope you enjoyed episode 212, “Moses and the Red Sea”, through our © Read Pray Talk Tell Method. Now it’s up to you to work through the Bible chapter discussed, pray about this verse using the prompts given, have biblical community around this verse, and go point others to Christ with the tips we give. Remember, when you read, pray, talk, tell consistently, you’ll grow your faith in God more deeply. Tune in next week to hear another breakdown of a Bible verse!
Links From the Show
