Between A Rock And A Hard Place? – Trust God!

We have all had the experience of being between a rock and a hard place.  When I think about this, I smile and say isn’t being between a rock and hard place the same thing? Have you ever seen a “soft” rock?  Being between a rock and hard place reminds me of Moses and the children of Israel who truly came face to face with being between a rock and a hard place.  Moses and the Israelites whom he had led out of Egypt, backs were against the wall as they were trapped between the Red Sea and Pharoah’s Egyptian army. They literally had nowhere to go; they had run out of options and so they looked to Moses as their leader to provide an answer, a solution to their problem.

Moses, by God’s guidance and instructions had led the children of Israel to this very place – being stuck between a rock and a hard place (the Red Sea and Pharoah’s army).  Moses, as the leader, had to step up to the plate and provide answers that would give the Israelites assurance that he had not led them into the wilderness, a situation where they would die.  In this instance, the only thing Moses could do was to TRUST God.

We see Moses’ assurance to the children of Israel in the passage below as he encouraged and said unto them:

And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid.  Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. ¹⁴The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.

Exodus 14:13-14 (NKJV)

We see Moses exercising his Faith and TRUST in this passage.  He really had to believe what he was saying to be able to convince the Israelites that they would be okay; that everything would be alright.  He gave them his word and then what did he do? Moses cried out to his God whom he TRUSTED.

God answered him and gave him specific instructions as to what he should do.  Because Moses trusted God, he followed His instructions even though it may have seemed far-fetched.

Moses lifted his rod and stretched out his hand over the sea and it divided, and the Israelites walked through on dry ground with seawalls on the right and the left.  They had to have trusted God also to take the first step into the unknown.  They had to trust God and believe that they would make it across which reminds me of an old saying “If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it”.

We as human beings always want to fix or remedy a situation or run ahead because we feel that God is not doing it quick enough, but we must realize that God is the architect, and He has the master plan for our lives.

I firmly believe and know without a doubt just like Moses; it is only God who can move you out from where you are between that rock and hard place.  It is only He who can deliver you.

After you have cried out to Him, be patient as He will answer you in His time.  Be silent and still to hear His voice in waiting for an answer.  Be obedient and do exactly what He says when He answers you.

The God whom the Israelites trusted did exactly as Moses said He would do; He fought for them and delivered them.  The battle was not theirs, but it belonged to the Lord, the God whom they trusted.  They safely crossed the Red Sea to the other side and once they were safe; Moses again lifted his rod and stretched out his hand over the sea and it came back together again drowning every Egyptian, not one of them survived.  He confused the enemy and stopped them in their track.

Moses believed that God would deliver them.  He did not give up, he did not quit, he did not let fear paralyze him but instead, he and the Israelites kept walking ahead and trusted God to save them out of what seemed to be an impossible situation.  Because of their obedience and trust, God delivered them that day.  They were freed from their enemies.

When our backs are against the wall and we are between a rock and a hard place, it is during these difficult times that God shows us just how powerful He is.  During these times are opportunities for God to come through for us.  It is during these challenging times where we can see God work at his best.  Between a rock and a hard place is where we can see God show up and show off big.

Looking through the natural eyes, there seems to be no way out. But remember with God ALL things are possible.  Trust God no matter how it seems because He wants the best for us and always has a plan for each of us as He tells us:

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)