We are living in a time when we need to put our trust in the power of God’s presence. The presence of God expressed through His people is what raises concern in the kingdom of darkness. 

Psalm 114 began by reminding Israel of their miraculous escapes when the Lord led them out of Egypt through the Red Sea and the parting of the Jordan River. While the people did physically cross both barriers, it wasn’t the mass of Israelites that caused the Red Sea or the Jordan to open up and make a way. It was the presence of God in His people that caused the waters to part. Those restricting barriers saw the presence of God approaching and submitted to His command, “The Red Sea saw them coming and hurried out of their way! The water of the Jordan River turned away” (vs. 3).

The Psalmist issued a challenge to those things that stand in the way of God’s people, “Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob” (Psalm 114:7). Tremble is a powerful word. It is a warning the Lord issues to any obstacle that will no longer be allowed to oppose His will. It is a command to step aside and make a way.

We put a lot of confidence in our abilities to do things or make a way. That confidence is short-lived when we face what seems to be an impenetrable obstacle. In those times we realize we need a miracle. In God’s never-changing character, He is still a profound miracle-working God. As we follow the Lord’s command, no matter the kind of restriction an obstacle presents, hell will see His presence-carriers coming and will be required to move aside. That is the kind of God we can trust when the way forward seems impassable in human terms.