part the waters

this was the message i shared with the congregation on sunday, one essentially of faith & mercy. i included a clip from the movie 10 Commandments where Moses, played by Charlton Heston, led the israelites across the red sea. the obvious miracle in that scene was, of course, the parting of the waters which provided the escape from the pursuing egyptian army. what's barely noticeable was that they crossed on dry ground.

But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. exodus 14:29

unbelieveable, isn't it? after a downpour, the ground is usually wet & soggy, but here the sea bed is DRY & the isrealites could flee without getting bogged down!! & this is mentioned FOUR times in this chapter. God loves & cares for us. although we often only notice the significant mercies in our lives, we overlook the little nitty gritty, eg. food on the table, roof over our heads & good health, which are no less a blessing.

to emphasise the faith of the israelites & grace of God, i recounted the woman with a bleeding disorder who remained ceremonially unclean by levitical laws, & was a social outcast for 24 years. but in faith, she stretched out her hand to Jesus for a cure, & although the healing was immediate, it wasn't complete till she confessed & the Lord replied:

"Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace." luke 8:48

nowhere else in the scriptures has Jesus addressed anyone this intimately. it just shows that despite our wavering faith, like the israelites, & diseased state, like the woman, God the loving Father, will continue to care, heal & show mercy.

if only we are prepared to reach out to Him.

BLESSED CHRISTMAS , ONE & ALL!!

**song of praise in response was Part The Waters, originally sung by Evie**