The burgeoning nation of Israelites, just three days into their independence from Egypt, stood at the shore of the Red Sea waiting for Adonai to show up. The thunderous rumble of Egyptian chariot horses made its way across the desert and into the panicked ears of the Hebrews. A cloud of sand dust made for a scary horizon as Moses and his people, their backs against the edge of waters too great for them to cross, frantically cried out to their Deliverer. Pinned between the greatest army in the world and the waters of a vast, deep sea, the Israelites heard no response from God. Whatever could’ve been done, it would not be. It was too late.
Too late or not, Moses raised his staff in the air above the Red Sea as its waves moved to the shore and its undertow took them back out again.
Suddenly, the sea waters began to move in a way no one had ever seen before. A crease-like movement ripped, beginning under Moses’ staff and zipping across the sea, seemingly all the way to the other shore. As the crease moved out, it left in its wake walls of water, as the water rushed to the right and to the left, forming a road of the now dry sea floor between the two walls.
“Behold! I AM has made a way!” Moses shouted as Aaron, Joshua, Hur and the other leaders ran onto the newly made road, the crowd of two million following them, everyone running in an uncanny frantic-yet-joyful manner.
It wasn’t too late after all!
It was, however, too late for Pharaoh’s army. They tried their luck on the road made by Jehovah, but they didn’t make it.
Three young men stood before Nebuchadnezzar. Of all the subjects of Babylon, only these three, Hebrew advisors to the great king, had been found disobedient to the king’s mandate.
“Our God will save us,” they had said, “but even if He does not, we will not bow to anyone but Him.”
The mighty king instructed his men to feed and stoke the furnace’s fire even more, making it seven times hotter than usual. Of course they complied. The king gestured for the three Jewish men to be thrown into the fire. The king’s men took the three men by their arms and ushered them forcefully to the furnace door. The heat was nearly unbearable as they approached the door. One of the servants reached out, opened the door, and fell to his knees. Then he keeled over, gasping for breath, but the air was too dry; it was so hot that it completely dried out his lungs, rendering them unable to expand and take in air. The servant exhaled one final time; he was dead.
As the three Hebrew men watched, knowing they were about to be thrown into the fire whose radiated heat had just killed this man before their eyes, it became apparent that Jehovah wasn’t going to save them. The fire was too hot, their judgment had been passed, their sentence decreed. It was too late.
As the king’s servants threw the three Hebrew men into the burning furnace, three more of the servants fell down and died.
Somehow, though, the furnace didn’t seem hot to the Hebrews. Standing in the flames, they looked at each other in amazement, the three of them each noticing in their peripheral vision a fourth man. Then, they all turned to the man with joyful but puzzled faces. Slowly they realized this was the Son of Man.
“It is never too late when you trust in God.” The Man said.
Maybe you’re in a dire situation and it seems like time is running out. You know it isn’t too late yet, but it soon will be.
Remember, God has a track record of working at what we think is the last minute. He also has a pattern of letting things seem impossible before He works His miracle. As if that isn’t trying enough for us, He often adds the element of silence, not speaking or displaying anything until the time of His providential choosing.
I’m actually in one of those situations now, myself. Let’s do this: let’s save our craziness for when He resolves our trouble; instead of freaking out now, let’s be patient. Then, we’ll completely lose it when He manifests His mighty work.
It’s too late. That may be how you feel, but it never is, especially when we trust Him.