13th September 2026

There are moments in life when we feel trapped between an overwhelming problem behind us and an impossible situation ahead. Israel experienced such a moment at the Red Sea. Pharaoh’s army was pursuing them while the sea stood before them. Humanly speaking, there seemed to be no way forward. The Israelites did not save themselves; their deliverance came entirely from God, reminding us that God is faithful even when we cannot see a way forward.

The angel of God moved behind Israel, and the pillar of cloud that had been leading them, now stood between them and the Egyptian army; God became their protection. Then Moses stretched out his hand, and the Lord drove back the waters, creating a path through the sea. Israel walked through on dry ground, while the Egyptians who pursued them were overwhelmed by the returning waters (Exodus 14:19-31). The important lesson of this incident is not that if you have enough faith you can overcome any obstacle, but that deliverance belongs to God. Israel could not part the sea – they could only receive the deliverance God provided.

The Red Sea gives us a powerful picture of God’s gracious initiative which points us beyond the Exodus to Jesus Christ. Salvation is God’s gracious work accomplished for us in Jesus. We do not save ourselves through religious performance, human effort, or even the strength of our faith. God has acted decisively on our behalf through his Son; Jesus fully entered into our human situation, carried our brokenness on the cross, defeated death through his resurrection and opened the way into fellowship with the Father.

Israel’s greatest problem was not the sea – it was their fear. They saw the approaching army and the sea in front of them, but could not see beyond these circumstances. Fear can do the same to us: when difficulties surround us, we may begin to think that God has abandoned us, but the pillar of cloud reminded Israel that God had not left them. The presence of difficulty does not mean the absence of God; sometimes God removes an obstacle immediately; sometimes he leads us through it. However, sometimes, like Israel, we must take the next step before we can see the whole way ahead. Our confidence, therefore, is not in ourselves but in Jesus. The greatest demonstration of God’s faithfulness is found in Christ’s death and resurrection. At the cross, everything appeared lost, yet God was accomplishing his purposes, and at the resurrection death itself was defeated.

So, when there seems to be no way forward, we can remember what God has already done. We can bring our fears honestly to him, take the next step in trust, and rest in the assurance that our future is secure in Christ. The Red Sea incident shows that where we see no way forward, God may be opening a way. Where we see impossibility, with God anything is possible, and where we feel alone, God is present. 

Our hope is not that we will always understand what God is doing: our hope is that Jesus is with us, and in him our future is secure.

Local congregation:
Grace Communion West Hampstead 
Sidings Community Centre
150 Brassey Road
West Hampstead
London
NW6 2BA

Meeting time:
Sunday 12.30 pm

Local congregational contact:
Gordon Brown
gordon.brown@gracecom.church

Word of Life contact:  
wordoflife@gracecom.church