Tip of My Iceberg

Children reach a certain age and have a strong desire to climb whatever is in front of them, whether a chair, stairs, a toy box, or a bench. Thea has reached this mountain-goat phase, and she’s crawling on anything that poses a challenge. We’ve got these large beanbag chairs in our family room, and she wasn’t deterred by the fact that they’re so much taller than she is.

Thea was creative in getting to the top. She’s tiny, so grabbing handfuls of material and hauling herself to the top was an obstacle she worked at overcoming.

She was so pleased when she made it to the top.

We all have mountains in life we have to climb. Some are small mounds that don’t require a lot of thought or effort. Others are more massive, rockier, and steeper. It takes planning and precision to get up those inclines, but it can be done. Sometimes, obstacles are long and wide, not steep. But getting through such impediments, though challenging, can be accomplished.

Especially if there’s help from others.

Throughout the Bible, there are stories of people who constantly confronted obstacles that they believed were insurmountable. But it was the facing of those obstacles that convinced them that the Lord was with them through every rough patch, every hard challenge, and every difficult decision.

Moses had been tasked by God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, but he was hesitant about it; his own confidence was undone by mistakes he’d made. Five times God asked Moses to lead His people out of slavery. Five times Moses refused, until God gave him Aaron, his brother, to be his spokesperson.

The steps toward becoming a leader were taken with hesitancy and caution. But as Moses saw God answer prayer, bringing plague after plague upon the Egyptians, his faith and faithfulness grew. After the tenth plague, where the firstborn of every family and animal in Egypt was stricken dead, Moses led the people out of their long-time bondage.

It wasn’t easy leading upwards of three million men, women, and children; the land they passed through was desert and plateau, making the going difficult. When Egypt came to realize it had just lost its entire slave cohort, Pharaoh’s soldiers pursued the Israelites. They came upon them at the Red Sea. Too deep to cross, and they realized the Egyptians were after them.

When the Israelites saw their predicament, they panicked, blaming Moses for bringing them out into the desert to die. They thought they preferred slavery and a place to stay to this unknown situation.

“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.’” Exodus 14:13-14.

God provided a way out by dividing the water of the Red Sea so the Israelites could go across on dry ground. When the Egyptians pursued them into the divided waters, God allowed the water to return to its rightful position. The Egyptians were drowned.

Whether it’s a mountain of worry to overcome or a broad sea of anxiety that holds us back, God has the power and the love for us to help us through the rough places.

Thea attempted to climb a pillow bigger than herself. She didn’t quit until she’d made it to the top.

God doesn’t quit on us when He walks with us through the challenges of life.

We need to remember that the Lord will fight for us. We need to be still and trust Him to do for us what we can’t do for ourselves.