MY YEAR OF GREAT ADVANCEMENT AND GREATER ACCOMPLISHMENTS - EXODUS 14:10-31

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Created: Thursday, 02 January 2025 14:14

MY YEAR OF GREAT ADVANCEMENT AND GREATER ACCOMPLISHMENTS - EXODUS 14:10-31

Introduction

It is a great pleasure to welcome you to a brand new year 2025 - Our Year of Great Advancement and Greater Accomplishments (Exodus 14:10-15)!

May the new year bring you all that and much more, in Jesus' amazing Name. Amen.

The story of the deliverance of the Israelites from the Egyptian bondage has much to teach us as we begin a new year. It's from it the Lord is speaking to us today.

A summary of the story...

The people had been in bondage for 430 years. They had never known freedom - all they were accustomed to was servitude. Little wonder that they were hesitant when Moses came preaching "deliverance"!

In the same way, some Nigerians are so young they were born long after Nigeria's years of plenty had expired - they never tasted the milk and the honey! When those who had tasted the better times speak of those days of yore, they wonder what such are talking about! But I am happy to announce that the story will soon change, as the Lord lives! Amen.

How does it apply to us today...?

We may say that the year 2024 represents the period the Israelites spent in the Egyptian bondage while the crossover symbolizes their Exodus from Egypt to the Promised Land.

In order to fulfill our respective God-ordained destiny in 2025, the things you and I need to do could be gleaned from the above passage of scripture.

1. Know God intimately - Exodus 14:14-15; Genesis 18:23-26.
Moses' intimate knowledge of and relationship with God manifested here. While others panicked, he did not. He saw the same thing that frightened the people but he was not frightened. He was confident that God was on top of the situation. Earlier, we see Abraham leveraged on his relationship with God to negotiate for the deliverance of the twin evil cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. God granted Abraham’s petition - consequence of a closer intimacy with God. 

2. Do not be intimidated by your immediate circumstances. Rather, approach issues from the same perspective as God's - Exodus 14:10

You have been called to work by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7;

John 20:29; 2 Cor. 4:18, see also Romans 8:24-25 and Heb. 11:1). Begin to see issues with the eyes of faith.

You will notice that Moses too saw what the rest of the people saw. They panicked but he did not. Why? He had a different mindset - the mindset of God!

3. Pray, don't murmur - 1 Corinthians 10:10,11, see Numbers 14:2-4

The people murmured to God. They didn't pray - if they did they would not have accused Moses of wrong doing.  

4. Look to God and not to men - Exodus 14:11 compare Psalm 34:4,5

God having used Moses to deal with the Egyptians, the people never expected the Egyptian would come chasing after them.

Note what Moses said, 'the Egyptian whom you see today, you will again see them no more...' As far as Moses was concerned, Pharaoh and his hosts were inconsequential - they were forever defeated. The head of the serpent had been crushed. It doesn't really matter how fiercely it's headless body may wriggle - it has lost its power to bite!

Therefore, in the new year, the forces that made life difficult for you in the old year might try to threaten you again. As Moses was unperturbed by the cloud of dusts the Egyptians were raising in the distance, you too must resolve never to be perturbed by the cloud of dust the enemy may raise in the new year. God who has been with you has not forsaken you and will not forsake you, no matter how fierce the harassment of the enemy may be in the new year. 

5. Fear not - Exodus 14:13,14

6. Speak the word of faith - Exodus 14:13,14; see also, Psalm 116:10; 2 Corinthians 4:13

7. See God fighting your battle - Exodus 14:14, 24-29; 2 Chronicles 20:17

8. Listen to what God is saying about the situation - Exodus 14:15

9. Obey God and enjoy the reward of obedience - Exodus 14:15-31

Examples of People Who Went Forward 

* Joshua and Caleb - Numbers 14:6-9

* The paralytic man - Matthew 9: 

1-7. He took his mat and went home. He did not listen to those who were criticizing Jesus.

* Apostle Paul - Acts 21:1-15. He did not allow the emotions being expressed by his sympathizers to dissuade him from going to Jerusalem.

Therefore, you must know three things:

1. That it is God's will that you move forward - Deuteronomy 1:6.

2. That there is a Promised Land ahead of you to be possessed. Canaan is waiting to welcome you. The people of Canaan are already fear-struck because of you.

3. That as God is eager for you to proceed to Canaan and possess it so the enemy is desperate to hinder you.

Hindrances to Going Forward - Some Reasons Why Some People May not Move Forward

1. Sin. 

This is described as 'missing the mark', or as the 'falling short of God's standard'. This comes in various shades or dimensions. This is exemplified by the lives of several Biblical characters. The case of Adam and Eve, for example, is a result of the sin of disobedience.

* David - Adultery

* For the man at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-14), the Bible does not tell us precisely what he did wrong. It is not the degree of the sin committed but the devil who always take advantage of the sinner's predicament to aggravate the sinner's suffering for as long as he pleases. 

- He trusted or put his hope in men

- He had no helper

- He was answering the wrong question

2. Lack of understanding or ignorance of redemptive grace - Exodus 14:10-12; Numbers 14:2-4 compare Mark 11:23-24 and Luke 1:37

3. Lack of faith or unbelief - Hebrews 3:16-4:1; James 1:5-8

4. Doubt - James 1:5-8

5. Failure to resist the devil - James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:7-9.

Conclusion 

Just as the Israelites never expected that there would still be some obstacles along their way to the Promised Land, so we often don't expect to have obstacles on our Christian journey. The realities of life however, is that these things are bound to come. That is why Job 14:1 says, "Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble." In fact, Jesus also says, John 16:33 and John 17:15! Apostle Paul buttressed the same in Acts 14:22b.

Therefore, when challenges or troubles come in 2025, remember this song:

"He did not bring me out this far

To make me go back again;

He brought me out 

To lead me into the promise land.../2ce

Though there may be giants in the land

I will not be afraid 

He brought me out 

To lead me into the Promised Land..."

Therefore, take a look at yourself... 

What can you see?

Your eyes, hand and feet are all facing the front. Meaning that God did not design your body to move backward but only forward. It also means you have been created to go forward and never backward. Then, call upon (pray to) God instead of  crying or complaining. And you will go forward and accomplish greater things in 2025!

Action Point

Let us pray:

1. Thank God for the message

2. Ask God for forgiveness of the sin of not factoring God's sovereignty into your circumstance before jumping into conclusions.

3. Pray that you might know God much more intimately in 2025 than you did in 2024.

4. Ask God to increase your faith so that you begin to see issues around you from God's perspective rather than what your senses tell you.

5. Ask God to grant you an uncommon progress in 2025.

6. Ask God to make a way for you where there seems to be no way.

7. Command all the  Red Seas and River Jordans before you to give way.

8. advance you fight for you by 

9. Ask for grace to be attentive to the voice of the Holy Spirit all the time.

10. Ask God for grace to be obedient to divine instructions.

11. Say, 'Oh God, I receive the grace to see you in all my circumstances, I receive the grace to trust you in all situations,

12. Receive the grace to patiently wait for God until your change comes (Job 14:14, Isaiah 60:22)

13. Believe He has done it and give him thanks.