MDS alumna Rev. Jessica Asbell (2003) recently published Where Faith & Family Meet, a three-year weekly family devotional book. The scripture readings follow the Revised Common Lectionary 2017-2019. The devotions are designed to help families see how Biblical stories are relevant to their personal experiences today. Jessica shares her own stories and encourages families to share their stories with each other. “By telling your own stories to your family, you can help them see how God has touched your life,” noted Jessica in the introduction to her book. Enjoy the following devotion for the second week in September with your family:
Exodus 14:19-31 “God Always Finds a Way”
Your Story
Talk about a time when what you felt like God was telling you to do seemed impossible. How did God help you through?
My Story and the Bible Story
Looking back and seeing God’s fingerprints in your life is a lot easier than seeing them in the moment. There are times in my life when things seemed impossible. When I was upset and hurting in the sixth grade as our church fell apart due to arguments and division, it seemed impossible that I would ever be happy again. But God made a way at a new church. When I was an accounting major and my campus minister mentioned children’s ministry, that kind of career seemed impossible. Who would switch from accounting to children’s ministry, and how could I do it well? Yet God made a way, and here I am, loving my job as a children’s minister. There are times in our lives when things seem impossible, but nothing is impossible with God.
Read Exodus 14:19-31
Moses and the Israelites were in a tough spot. The Egyptian army was behind them, getting closer and closer. In front of them was the Red Sea. They had nowhere else to go, but the angel of God and the pillar of cloud moved behind them. They kept the Egyptians from seeing the people. And then something amazing happened: the Red Sea parted! The people were able to walk across on dry land. When the Egyptians saw what they were doing, they started crossing as well. After the last Israelites crossed, Moses stretched out his hand and the Lord sent the sea flowing back into place. The Lord protected the Israelites when it seemed like all was lost. God did something impossible and saved the Israelites.
In our lives there are times when things seem impossible. There are times when we struggle to trust God because we think, “There’s no way God can do this.” Yet God saved the Israelites by parting the Red Sea. God gave Jesus the power to perform miracle after miracle. God raised Jesus from the dead. What is impossible for us isn’t impossible for God. When it seems like God wants you to do something and things look impossible, remember that God can do the impossible. Trust that if God wants you to do something, God will make it possible for that to happen. God always finds a way!
Discussion and Prayer
- Is there something you feel like God is asking you to do that seems impossible?
- Has there been a time in your life when things seemed impossible and God came through for you? Talk about that time.
- As a family, talk about how we can trust God because God is always there for us, never lets us down, and always finds a way.
- Pray, asking for help in trusting God when things seem impossible. Ask God to help you find a way to do what God wants you to do.
- For older children: This story shows how God miraculously saved the Israelites in an event that also resulted in the deaths of many Egyptians. Why did that happen? How do you think God felt, knowing that his miracle in saving the Israelites also killed many Egyptians?
Jessica is the Minister to Children and Families at First Baptist Roswell, where she has been serving since 2012. You can purchase her book here.
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Mount de Sales Academy is a private Catholic school located in Macon, GA, and serves students in Bibb, Houston, Jones, Monroe, Peach and other surrounding counties. MDS is sponsored and inspired by the Sisters of Mercy. Since 1876, MDS has served a diverse college-preparatory community of learners—students and teachers alike—who are poised to discover, challenged to innovate, and motivated to serve.