The Lord of New Things

By Ainish Philip

In the book of Exodus we read how the Lord dries the Red Sea making it possible for the people of Israel to walk across it to freedom. The Egyptians are drowned and killed in the sea. I have always tried to picture this great victory in my mind. The Israelites might have travelled all the way without even catching up on their sleep in order to reach to safety. And for all the pains they undertook, God did not allow anyone of them to even trip or fall or get hurt during the exodus. This is the greatest manifestation of the Lord’s power and might which Israel had seen so far.

This experience of salvation and freedom fills the people with faith, wonder, and new hope. “Israel saw the great work that the Lord did against the Egyptians. So the people feared the Lord and believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.” Exodus 14:31

Earlier they feared the Egyptians because they did not have faith that God would free them from their bondage. But now, their faith got strengthened because they experienced salvation. The faith which was feeble before grew stronger. They turned back to the lord with thanksgiving and prayer. The Israelites who had turned to the Lord earlier in a moment of helplessness and despair now turn to Him with joy and gladness.

And this is exactly how I felt about the hundreds of teens and youth who came looking for their salvation and freedom in Christ a couple of weeks ago. Inspite of the bondage and attractions of the world, our loving Lord rescued them from the sea of doubts, stress, worries and anxiety to a dry, open land of freedom in the Holy Spirit. The faces who were clueless about who Jesus really is brightened to the fact that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever! (Hebrews 13:8)

As I thank the Lord for the new things He is doing in our land, I also pray that He may use the young generation powerfully to declare the love of their Father to the whole world.

See, I am doing a new thing! (Isaiah 43:19)