His dog knocked his phone to the floor, and he leaned over to pick it up. It was then when he ended up on the shoulder of the other lane, having knocked himself silly, slamming the guardrail. 

Our son totaled his car coming up the mountain last week on a slip-slidey day when there was ice and snow about. It’s his second totaled vehicle in the last year, the fourth since he began driving. I’m afraid our insurance will drop him.

The next morning, he picked up a rental and was heading to work when a deer ran across the road and, you guessed it, they collided. This wreck happened near our house, and he came in angry and hollering. The guys at work were already calling him Lemony Snicket because of his “Series of Unfortunate Events.” Nobody would believe it wasn’t his fault, he lamented. 

But someone did. 

Stone has a father who adores him, and Stone’s trouble is his trouble. He told him who to contact and how to move forward.  Stone took the rental back to Enterprise and got another car, easy as that. They weren’t worried who would pay–surely, it wouldn’t be them.

Stone stopped by after work that evening. He was beaming. How could he be so carefree with so much unresolved? Easy. Our insurance is in place for him, and his dad’s credit card is in his pocket. I don’t know who will pay for what, but I do know that Stone’s got a father to lean on when he’s in a tight spot.

Today’s passages tell more about trusting the Father in our tight spots.

Exodus 14-15

It’s such an astonishing story, it’s easy to get lost in the drama–the mad charge of Egyptian chariots, the people backed up against ocean water, the protecting cloud of fire that hovers, Moses with his staff held out and shouting, Ex 14:5-18.

But what jumps out at me is what Moses is saying. He doesn’t instruct them to run away or to stand their ground and fight. He doesn’t say it’s too bad, but this rescue-gig is up. He simply says, “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and watch…God will fight the battle for you. And you? You keep your mouths shut!” Ex 14:13-14 MSG.

In this desperate hour, they can’t save themselves. All they’ve got is God. But they’re in luck–saving is just what God does. It’s what he’s all about; it’s something only he does. God is always the One who shows up and saves us, Ex 14:30-31.

This wasn’t just an overdue bill or an overlong visit from your in-laws to worry about. This was life-or-death for more than 2 million people, right there on the beach. There’s no time to call for help, and even if they could, there’s no help to be had since the near nations aren’t friendly.

Moses says the people’s part is to trust God by waiting, by watching, by walking through what moments before looked impossible. Moses holds up his staff and the ocean water is divided, dry land shows up, the pillar of fire moves behind them, God’s angel goes before them, and they follow on foot, trusting the water-walls to hold, trusting God to handle the Egyptians still charging behind them, Ex 14:15-31.

I can’t help wondering why God saves them like this. Two verses after Miriam and the women sing and dance to celebrate, these same people are complaining about not having any water to drink. Didn’t they get it? Providing drinking water is nothing compared to piling up Red Sea water, Ex 15:21-25.

Didn’t God get it? He had to know how short their memories were, that he’d have to keep saving them again-and-again while they grumble against him. But God’s love doesn’t depend on people to shape up. It depends on his promise to be their God, no matter what.

God was telling a bigger story than just this one about Israelites. He was telling a story that included the Egyptians and all the idol worshiping nations who heard it. Everyone feared the God of Israel after this. And this is just what God wanted—that not only his people, but the pagans, would know who he is, Ex 14:4, 17-18, 25, 31; 15:14-16.

God’s plan is bigger than simply saving an individual or a family or a people. He wants hearts all over the world to be moved to know him and to worship. But he starts with each of us, just like this. When we’re at the end of our ropes, when our back’s against the ocean, when we don’t know what’s next, God saves. He’s the Hero who says, “Watch me do it for you.”

I don’t know about you, but the truth of that relaxes me down to the floor. I can feel the relief rising. While I know he’s the One who rescues, I keep forgetting. My shoulders fall, my neck softens–God’s got my back, and he tells me to do exactly what–watch? I can hardly believe it.

Aren’t I supposed to “work out my salvation in fear and trembling”? Yes, and the rest of that verse says, “it’s God who works in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Growing and changing, letting go of addictions and complaining, God works these things in you, giving you both the desire and the ability to do it when you trust him, Phip 2:12-13 NIV and ESV.

It doesn’t happen by going off and leaving God like the babysitter who watches the kids while you live it up. No, he says stay close. Watch him work in you. Be involved by actively trusting him to do what you cannot. You won’t believe a rescue like this. It’s that easy. It’s that hard, too.

Who can trust when all is lost? The person hard pressed, who’s on her last nerve, who’s exhausted all her options, who’s given up her last resort. It’s when she has no other choice that she trusts God to be enough. I’ve been there. It’s awful and wonderful, all at once.

God makes my way. I keep my eyes on him and not on the walls-of-water beside me—the worries, the sorrows, the mistakes that threaten to swamp me. Plus a few enemies. God holds them. He gives me enough light to see the next step. He does the saving. I do the following.

My life is not on me to make it turn out right. Yours isn’t, either. We don’t have the power to direct ourselves or change, even if we knew how to do it. But God does. So we stick close. We watch what he does. We check-in often. We tell him what’s up. We read his words. We think about the ones that move us. We lay our lives before him and ask him to guide us. We celebrate his savings with worship, Ex 15, Ps 25, 27.

If there’s one thing I want to do with the rest of my days, it’s to stay on this road with the God who keeps saving me.

When you’re at the end of you, watch what God will do.

Matthew 21:23-46

They don’t like Jesus’ style. He comes into town and stirs things up, kicks out the temple market, acts like he’s boss. The religious leaders have had enough, and now they want Jesus to tell them his credentials, Mt 21:12-17, 23-27.

Instead, he tells stories that show how they’re unqualified.  Point blank, he says hookers and hoodlums are getting into heaven ahead of them, but they still won’t humble themselves.  In fact, they want to arrest him, Mt 21:31-32, 46.

They’re stumbling over the stumbling block of Jesus as the only way to connect with the Father. They want it to be about them, about how good they can be in their own strength without him. Being told you need a Savior is an offensive message when you stop and think about it. But Jesus brings the point even closer—he says their goodness looks a lot like lying and murder, Mt 21:33-46.

Goody-goodness is dishonest.  It’s a mask for baddy-badness.  I know, because I’ve been the queen of it.  I still struggle to lay it down and depend on Jesus to be my Savior–not myself.

Those on bottom know him, because they’re honest about how badly they need him. These are those who discover how astonishing his saving is—“[it’s] God’s work, we rub our eyes, we can hardly believe it!” Mt 21:23-42 MSG.

When you get to the end of you, trust Jesus to be there waiting.

Psalm 26

David lives an honest life before God, but he doesn’t do it in his own strength.  He says God does it, “Examine me…make sure I’m fit inside and out so I never lose sight of your love, but keep in step with you,” Ps 26:2-3 MSG.

This is the key to a righteous life—keeping in touch with the God who loves you.  David can’t produce the goodness he needs, but God can.  And he turns to him often, Ps 26:3 MSG.

He also hangs out with like-minded people, not with “tricksters” and “thugs.” He “joins hands” and tells “God-stories” and sings “God-songs at the top of my lungs.” Fellowship with God and with other believers is a vital tank-filler, Ps 26:4-7 MSG.

When you’re at the end of you, look to God and his people.

Prayer

God, this message is such good news–Jesus saves, so I don’t have to.  But it’s also a little insulting, because deep down, I want to be good enough to deserve you.  Help me to humble myself and depend on you. 

In Jesus’ name.

Proverbs 6:16-19

God hates 6 things: arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that murder innocents, an evil-hatching heart, feet that run to be wicked, and the trouble maker in one’s own family.

Passages from Exodus, Matthew, Psalms, and Proverbs are selected for today in The Yearly Bible.