How God Moves While We Wait for the Sea to Part

It was midgnight and she wasn't any closer to sleep then she was at 8:00 p.m. when the first anxious thought escaped her lips. It was just one of many nights of my youngest daughter's unrelenting anxiety. It's like opening a can of worms, but so it is with fear--incessant, rambling, foreboding and never ending--until we grab hold of the sonship bought for us by the precious blood of Jesus.

She doesn't understand what is hers as a daughter of God, even as adults sometimes we have a hard time grasping it.

She doesn't understand that He adopted her and she has rights and authority and freedom, we as adults struggle to comprehend what adoption means and how to use our God given authority.

Everytime I heard "No Longer Slaves" I would think, if she could just hear and apply these truths, she would defeat this anxiety. So, these devotions were birthed and I was once again amazed at the "living and active nature of His Word." As I delved into Scripture I was overwhelmed at the healing I gained from dissecting the verses of the song.

Sometimes a song will bring clarity and freedom like nothing else can, especially when it is steeped in truth - "No Longer Slaves" is that song for me.

God knows every intimate detail of our lives and He is an "on time" God, never late and never early. The word for the timeliness of God is kairos, appointed time for something to happen. We all own kairos moments in our lives, but some never "seize the day," so to speak.

Such was the case with Hannah and Elizabeth, both barren women who asked God for a child (see 1 am. 1; Luke 1). In each case, the Lord answered with a son but waited for His timing because while they wanted a child, He needed a prophet. They owned a kairos, but God shared ownership; and His kairos involved not only their fulfillment, but also His eternal purposes. Dutch Sheets, Hope Resurrected, page 67

Providentially, my daughter, the one who battles anxiety almost daily, well, her name--Kaira (from kairos). You can read about her name and how the Lord gave it to me here.

This song builds confidence in the faithfulness of an on time God to believe for the parting of the sea at the perfect time.

Sometimes God saves a miracle for a ripe harvest. He may have more in mind for your breakthrough than just your breakthrough--your waiting may be harvest related. Without question, waiting is purposeful. Dutch Sheets, Hope Resurrected page 67

In the verses of "No Longer Slaves", we are introduced to a God that:

1. Unravels us - August 29th
2. Chooses us - August 31st
3. Surrounds us - September 5th
4. Liberates us - September 7th
5. Rescues us - September 12th

"And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me," Says the Lord Almighty. 2 Corinthians 6:18 

For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Romans 8:14 

Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God. Galatians 4:7

Once we become a child of God, He says we are no longer a slave. Have you been a slave to something? It is no fun. Being a slave means you are the property of a person or behavior or even a fear. It means being completely submitted to something and controlled by it. There was a time in my life when I was a slave to fear, then He saved me and set me free and most importantly made me His daughter.

We know God saved the Israelites from the Egyptians by parting the Red Sea and He will do the same for us. But the waiting can be long and we can grow discouraged over time, so for the next five blog posts, I will unpack the amazing ways God meets us in the waiting using the lyrics of "No Longer Slaves" and corresponding scripture references.

This is my testimony of the Father reaching in and opening up seasons of suffering and sorrow and just meeting me and drowning my fear. Melissa Helser, on writing "No Longer Slaves" 

Have you grown weary in the waiting? Have you become a slave to fear? Or someone or something? You don't have to be, God wants to set you free.

Lord, thank you that we are no longer slaves to fear, but sons and daughters. As Your children we can come fearlessly to Your throne to receive mercy and grace to help us in our waiting. Transform us by the renewing of our minds as we dig into your Word and allow the water of Your Word to wash over us and cleanse us and set us free. Thank you for Your Word to lead, guide, transform and instruct us in every area of our lives. It is for freedom You set us free, we want to be free. We want to live the abundant life Your Son died to give us. Amen.