Crying out to God

One of my earliest memories of Bible stories is that of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea. I recently re-read the passage from Exodus 13 and 14 and I was struck by something.

As the a Egyptian hoard bore down upon the Israelites, they were understandably terrified.  Yet God said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me?”

What?!  Excuse me; but that seems like a perfectly appropriate time to cry out to God!!   I mean, if you believe in the God of the Bible and are about to be killed by an army of spear wielding charioteers, I would think that would be an apt moment to cry out to God.   If not then, when?

But in this case it was not only unnecessary, it was sinful for Moses to cry out to God. After all, God had told Moses of his intent to free the people of Israel and had already demonstrated His power to do so – 10 times, no less, in the plagues he had visited upon the Egyptians.  To cry out to God  after that promise and those demonstrations was to express a disbelief in God‘s provision and promise. 

There comes a time in our fear and anguish when we must stop crying out to God and trust that He will deliver us.  He may not to do it as spectacularly as He did for the Israelites on that day.  But He will deliver us. He will vindicate us. He will demonstrate his power:  Someday, and in His time. It may come after we have suffered. It may even come after we have died or been martyred. But it will come.

So, by all means, cry out to God!  But make your entreaty to God a cry for faith to believe in his promises; for faith to know that He will bring you through the trials you face; for faith to know that God - and we by God's grace - will be victorious!