{"id":2608,"date":"2020-01-25T09:53:18","date_gmt":"2020-01-25T15:53:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/joanndownsalo.com\/?p=1312"},"modified":"2026-07-04T14:05:37","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T19:05:37","slug":"go-forward","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?p=2608","title":{"rendered":"Go Forward"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The country is a mess. The world is a mess. But believer do not lose heart.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Israel was in the same sinking boat. Their story was written for our sake that we should not lose hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s natural to feel afraid when all we see is Pharaoh\u2019s horses and chariots chasing after our liberation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But our God is <\/strong>supernatural.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Striking Egypt with locusts and lice, God singled his people out. Plundering privileged Egypt of their gold and silver, He supplied all Israel’s needs for the journey. Water stood as walls and blazing fire blocked their foes, yet they couldn’t see God in the heat of the battle. Couldn\u2019t fathom the promised land. “It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.”<\/em>Their long-standing slavery felt easier, safer, surer than the unknown. Bondage can be so deep and blinding, you can assume mere survival must mean you\u2019ve been doing something right. But you haven’t progressed, you’re still stressed, and the fear you started with hasn’t left. (I’m speaking to myself.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you grow up fearful over what has happen<\/em>, and consequently what could happen<\/em>, it may take more manna in the desert before you can trust what God says will happen.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You know what I love about God\u2019s words? They always <\/em>prove true. They don\u2019t boast some pride producing impairment like, Just Do You. <\/em>That\u2019s Satan\u2019s strategy\u2014posting new pinups, attractive slogans, and sweet-smelling distractions. Selling the latest refrain like it will fix the past and secure the future. Hastening after other gods only multiplies our sorrows.<\/em> God\u2019s command? God\u2019s plan? Christ crucified\u2014a Savior<\/em><\/strong>. One able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.<\/em>Who does not merely pump us up\u2014but picks us up every time we cry.<\/em> With outstretched arms our compassionate God takes us upon His mighty shoulders. Feeding us with wisdom and understanding\u2014He upholds the way of His children. He can\u2019t lie, won\u2019t leave, and alwaysalwaysalways wins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t go back. Not after you\u2019ve known God, or rather are known by Him.<\/em> Don\u2019t think for a millisecond that Egypt has the upper hand\u2014when Christ conquered death with the palms of His.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Israel’s laws were written on stone until Jesus stood up and stepped over that stone. What’s the difference? Surer deliverance. Inner<\/em> escape from our deadliest enemies. Egypt lost its power over us when the Holy Spirit poured Himself in us<\/em>. We are MORE than conquerors through Him who loves us.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do not be afraid.<\/em> When we are saved by His majesty’s saving grace, we can choose to rub discouragement from our eyes and get a glimpse at the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Write on the tablet of your heart: the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed.<\/em> Our hope is laid up for us in heaven, <\/em>and the mess we face today\u2014we shall one day see again no more forever.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Children of Israel, go forward.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The country is a mess. The world is a mess. But believer do not lose heart. Israel was in the same sinking boat. Their story was written for our sake that we should not lose hope. It\u2019s natural to feel afraid when all we see is Pharaoh\u2019s horses and chariots chasing after our liberation. But […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":143625079,"featured_media":2004,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[54418],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2608","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-bible"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pacmrQ-G4","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":11576,"url":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?p=11576","url_meta":{"origin":2608,"position":0},"title":"“The tent that is our earthly home.”","author":"Jo Alo","date":"September 2, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"When's the last time you put up a tent? Kind of a flimsy thing wasn't it? Kept in the trunk, or a dusty garage. Always takes a bit of labor to attach it to the ground, yet easily pulled down. 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We watched her and papa serve meals and guard their young for two weeks without a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Parenting"","block_context":{"text":"Parenting","link":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?cat=5309"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/robin.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/robin.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/robin.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/robin.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/robin.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2609,"url":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?p=2609","url_meta":{"origin":2608,"position":2},"title":"I Don’t Want To Change the World, I Just Want To Keep Changing","author":"Jo Alo","date":"March 22, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"I was twenty-four when my knees bent to Jesus. 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That's how he faithfully served God. The number of friends he had, how many spoke well of him, whether or not he got a pat on the back\u2014never determined the weight of his faith in a God who loved him enough to be with him. 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Wasn't this the worst day of all\u2014Your public, gruesome execution?\" Of all the titles we could come up with: Broken Friday, Awful Friday, Crying Friday\u2014anything feels truer than, Good Friday. 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