The Red Sea Rules, Robert J. Morgan, Thomas Nelson, 2001
To those facing the seemingly
impossible situation of being hemmed in on all sides, the small book The Red Sea Rules is like finding
treasure. It is a fairly simple but
thoughtful exegesis of Exodus 13:17-15:2 applied to daily life. “The Red Sea may roll before us; the desert
may entrap us; the enemy may press on our heels. The past may seem implausible
and the future impossible but God works in ways we cannot see. He will make a
way of escape for His weary, but waiting, children” (pp. viii-ix). The book reads like a devotional with
examples and scripture principles that give hope and help to Christians in
their faith crises.
- Reviewed by M.L. Codman-Wilson, Ph.D. 6/4/12
Here are Morgan’s 10 Red Sea Rules:
Rule
1 – Realize that God means for you to be where you are.
[God
had led the Israelites to the very “cul-de-sac between hostile hills, to the
edge of a sea too deep to be forded and too wide to be crossed…If you find yourself in a difficult spot,
remember: you are there by God’s appointment, in His keeping, under His
training, and for His time” pp.6,13.]
Rule
2 - Be more concerned for God’s glory than for your relief. [The next time you’re overwhelmed, instead of
asking, ‘How can I get out of this mess?’ try asking, ‘How can God be glorified
in this situation?’…God deliberately orchestrated the Exodus events as an
occasion for demonstrating the power He wields over His enemies and the
elements” pp.19-20.]
Rule
3 – Acknowledge your enemy, but keep your eyes on the Lord. [There
are strong parallels between Pharaoh and Satan.
Satan “pursues you with the intensity of Pharaoh...He tries to trap you
in difficulty, to entangle you in trouble, to corner you in impossible
situations, to lure you into temptation… Acknowledge Satan’s activity but don’t
be intimated by him. You can resist him in the power of God and by the blood of
Jesus Christ” (pp.32-33)…“We always make a
mistake when we acknowledge the Lord but keep our eyes on Satan… Keep your eyes
on Christ…He will make a way” p.38.]
Rule
4 – Pray! [“When we can’t press
forward, move sideward or step backward, it’s time to look upward and to ask
God to make a way...Focus not on your negative feelings but on God’s assurances
and promises, pleading in faith for “God to grant mercy and imparts grace to
help in time of need” pp. 40,48.]
Rule
5: Stay calm and confident, and give God time to work. [“Moses told
the people: ‘Fear not, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord which He
will work for you today…The Lord will fight for you’” (Exod.14: 14). The Lord still does that today.p.50]
Rule
6: When unsure, just take the next logical step by faith. [Day by day and step by step God promises to
lead us…“Our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to
do what lies clearly at hand…When you don’t know what to do next, cast out fear
and seek light for the next step” pp.63,65.]
Rule 7 – Envision God’s
enveloping presence. [“For His children God serves as both Guard and
Guide. He both precedes us and protects us” (p.71).
The pillar of fire and cloud followed the Israelites through the wilderness.
Then at the Red Sea the pillar moved behind the Israeli army, giving light to
them and darkness to their Egyptian pursuers.]
Rule
8 – Trust God to deliver in His own unique way. [“We must have God’s
perspective on deliverance, for He doesn’t always view things as we do…There is
deliverance by miraculous intervention, by ordinary providential ways and by
God’s mysterious ways…Charles Spurgeon once quipped, ‘We believe in the
providence of God but we do not believe half enough in it’” pp.80-89.]
Rule
9 – View your current crisis as a faith builder for the future. [“We don’t know why God allows problems but we
know he intends to use them to heighten our maturity and deepen our faith…Faith
has a cumulative quality to it…We grow it and lay it in store for future times.” God gives us a promise then takes us into a
desperate situation “to see if we will apply His promise to our problem…Faith
is simply finding and claiming the promises of God in every situation, and,
based on those promises…being fully persuaded that God has the power to do what
He has promised” pp.96, 102,104.]
Rule 10 – Don’t forget to praise Him. [“Our tough situations give us the opportunity to sound forth His praises. God expects our gratitude for His deliverance…Develop the perspective of praise…It’s our typical expression of joyful confidence and triumphant thanksgiving at what God has done, is doing, and is going to do” pp.107,110, 112.]
