Faith in Uncertainty: God’s Path Through Chaos

Devotional

Day 1: God Makes a Way Out of No Way

Even when every path seems blocked and hope is slipping away, God is present and able to create possibilities where none seem to exist. Throughout history, oppressed people have found that God is not a distant bystander but one who hears the cries of the suffering and stands with those who struggle for freedom and justice. The Exodus story, and so many liberation movements since, remind us that God’s power is revealed most clearly when all other options are exhausted, and a way forward seems impossible. In these moments, God’s faithfulness is not just a comfort but a call to trust that new life can emerge from despair, and that liberation is possible even in the harshest circumstances. [34:35]

Exodus 14:10-31 (ESV)
When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”
The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”
Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night.
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And in the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from before Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.”
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.” So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the Lord threw the Egyptians into the midst of the sea. The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, not one of them remained. But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.

Reflection: When have you faced a situation that felt utterly hopeless? How might you look for God’s presence and possibility in that place today?

Day 2: Courage to Step Forward in Uncertainty

The path to freedom and new life does not appear before we move; it unfolds as we take each step in faith, even when the way is unclear. Like Neshan in the Midrash, who stepped into the sea before it parted, we are called to act on God’s promises even when we cannot see the outcome. True courage is not found in waiting for certainty, but in moving forward, trusting that God will meet us in our risk and reveal the way as we go. Each step, even when the waters rise and the ground feels unstable, is an act of faith that invites God’s liberating power to work in and through us. [40:46]

Joshua 3:13-17 (ESV)
And when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap.”
So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho. Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.

Reflection: What is one step of faith you feel called to take right now, even though the outcome is uncertain? What would it look like to move forward anyway?

Day 3: God Sides with the Oppressed

God’s heart is always with those who suffer under oppression, and God’s salvation is not abstract but concrete, historical, and rooted in justice for the vulnerable. The Exodus story and the witness of liberation theologians remind us that God hears the cries of the marginalized and acts on their behalf. This truth calls us to grieve the pain and violence in the world, to wrestle with the moral complexity of suffering, and to join God’s work by standing with those who seek dignity, safety, and freedom today. [35:40]

Psalm 146:5-9 (ESV)
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
who keeps faith forever;
who executes justice for the oppressed,
who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free;
the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the sojourners;
he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

Reflection: Who in your community or world is crying out for justice today? How can you stand in solidarity with them in prayer or action this week?

Day 4: Faithful Movement Creates the Path

The way forward is not always visible from the start; it is created by the faithful steps we take together, trusting that God is building something new even in the midst of disruption and uncertainty. Like the Israelites at the Red Sea, our movement—step by step—opens up new possibilities, not just for ourselves but for our whole community. Stability is not found in unchanging circumstances, but in God’s promise to walk with us and make a way as we move. Our calling is to act with compassion, speak truth, and stand with the vulnerable, even when the ground beneath us feels unsteady. [46:52]

Isaiah 43:18-19 (ESV)
“Remember not the former things,
nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.”

Reflection: What is one concrete action you can take this week to help create a path of hope or justice for someone else, even if you can’t see the full outcome?

Day 5: Embracing Liminal Space as Sacred

Uncertainty and disruption are not obstacles to be avoided, but sacred spaces where God is at work, inviting us to trust, discern, and participate in the birth of something new. The “sacred construction zone” of liminal space is uncomfortable, but it is also where transformation takes root and new life emerges. Rather than waiting for perfect clarity or conditions, we are called to step into the unknown together, carrying our deepest convictions about God’s love and justice, and trusting that the way will open as we move. [42:18]

Romans 8:24-25 (ESV)
For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Reflection: Where in your life do you feel “betwixt and between” right now? How might you invite God to meet you in that space and trust that something new is being born?

Sermon Summary

Today, we gathered as a people shaped by stories, joined across generations, to remember and embody the journey of faith. Standing with the Hebrew people at the edge of the Red Sea, we faced the ancient and ever-present question: what do we do when every path forward seems blocked, when fear and oppression press in from behind and uncertainty stretches before us? The Exodus story is not just a tale of the past, but a living pattern for all who find themselves trapped between bondage and the unknown. In the face of overwhelming odds, God does not remain distant. God hears the cries of the suffering, stands with the oppressed, and acts to bring liberation—often in ways that defy our expectations and transcend our understanding.

The story of the Red Sea crossing is both a comfort and a challenge. It reminds us that God makes a way out of no way, but also that the path does not appear before the courage. The ancient Midrash tells of Neshan, who stepped into the waters before they parted, trusting the promise of freedom even as the sea rose around him. His faith was not in having all the answers, but in moving forward, step by step, trusting that God’s way would open as he walked. This is the invitation for us as well: to step into uncertainty, to act with compassion and justice, to trust that God is present in the chaos and the unknown.

We are called to recognize that the places of greatest uncertainty—what Richard Rohr calls “liminal space”—are not obstacles, but openings. These are the sacred construction zones where God is building something new, even as the old ways fall away. Our task is not to wait for perfect clarity or safety, but to move faithfully, together, carrying our deepest convictions about God’s love and justice. As we take concrete steps—welcoming the stranger, speaking truth, standing with the vulnerable—we participate in the ongoing work of liberation. The stability we seek is not in the ground beneath our feet, but in God’s promise to walk with us and make a way. The question is not whether God can make a way, but whether we are ready to get our feet wet, trusting that step by faithful step, a way out of no way will be revealed.

Key Takeaways

1. God’s liberation emerges precisely when all seems lost. The Exodus story teaches that divine intervention is not reserved for moments of strength or clarity, but often comes when hope is nearly extinguished and every path appears blocked. In these “no way” moments, God’s creative power is most evident, reminding us that despair is never the end of the story. [34:00]
2. God stands with the oppressed and hears every cry for justice. The Exodus narrative, echoed in liberation movements throughout history, reveals a God who is not neutral but actively sides with those who suffer under systems of injustice. This challenges us to listen for the cries of the vulnerable in our own time and to join God’s work of justice and freedom. [35:40]
3. The path forward often requires stepping into uncertainty before clarity arrives. Like Neshan in the Midrash, we are called to move forward even when the way is not visible, trusting that God’s path will open as we act in faith. True courage is not found in waiting for certainty, but in taking each step, even when the waters rise around us. [40:46]
4. Liminal spaces—times of disruption and uncertainty—are sacred opportunities for transformation. Rather than obstacles to be avoided, these in-between places are where God builds something new. Our willingness to move through instability, together and with conviction, allows real change to take root and new possibilities to emerge. [42:18]
5. Faithful action is both individual and communal, requiring concrete steps toward justice and compassion. The Exodus was not just about divine power, but also about human willingness to move. As we welcome the stranger, speak truth, and stand with the vulnerable, we create the path by our walking, trusting that God’s promise is revealed step by step. [46:52]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[02:08] - Gathering in Worship and Community
[03:02] - Generations Joined in Faith
[03:57] - Shaped by Stories and Grace
[04:57] - Perseverance and the Procession of Faith
[05:46] - Lifting Hearts in Praise
[06:57] - Offering Peace and Welcome
[07:54] - Introduction to Exodus Journey
[09:15] - Recap: Moses, Pharaoh, and the Plagues
[12:15] - The Red Sea: Facing the Impossible
[15:30] - The Cry of the Oppressed
[18:43] - God’s Presence in Desperation
[20:32] - God Makes a Way Out of No Way
[25:28] - Prayer for Courage and Trust
[31:46] - The Pattern of Divine Liberation
[33:00] - Modern Echoes of Oppression
[34:00] - Faith in the Midst of Uncertainty
[35:40] - God of the Oppressed
[36:20] - Wrestling with the Story’s Challenges
[37:09] - The Backlash of Power
[37:47] - Stepping into the Sea: Courage and Community
[39:10] - The Midrash of Neshan
[40:46] - The Path Appears as We Move
[41:29] - Liminal Space and Sacred Construction
[42:18] - Concrete Steps of Faith
[46:52] - Creating the Path Together
[59:45] - Honoring Reverend Marty McMain
[61:30] - Choir and Closing Worship
[77:33] - Final Blessing and Benediction
[79:14] - Postlude and Farewell

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Exodus 14:10–31 (ESV) — When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord... (read through verse 31)

Observation Questions

According to Exodus 14:10–12, what was the initial reaction of the Israelites when they saw Pharaoh’s army approaching?
In the sermon, the story of Neshan from the Midrash is shared. What did Neshan do that was different from the rest of the people at the water’s edge? [[39:10]]
What does the text say happened as Moses stretched out his hand over the sea? What was the result for both the Israelites and the Egyptians?
The sermon mentions that God hears the cries of the suffering and stands with the oppressed. Where do you see this truth in the Exodus passage? [[35:40]]

Interpretation Questions

The Israelites were trapped between Pharaoh’s army and the Red Sea, with no visible way out. What does this situation reveal about how God often works in moments of desperation? [[34:00]]
The Midrash story of Neshan stepping into the water before it parted suggests that faith sometimes means moving before the way is clear. What does this say about the relationship between faith and certainty? [[40:46]]
The sermon says that “liminal spaces”—times of uncertainty—are “sacred construction zones” where God builds something new. How might this perspective change the way someone views seasons of instability or transition? [[42:18]]
The Exodus story is described as both a comfort and a challenge. In what ways does it comfort, and in what ways does it challenge those who hear it today? [[34:00]]

Application Questions

Think of a time in your life when you felt “trapped” with no clear way forward. How did you respond? Looking back, can you see any signs of God’s presence or guidance in that situation? [[33:00]]
The sermon challenges us to “step into uncertainty” and act with compassion and justice, even when the path isn’t clear. What is one area in your life right now where you feel called to take a step of faith, even if you don’t have all the answers? [[40:46]]
The story of Neshan shows that the path sometimes appears only as we move. Is there a concrete action—big or small—that you sense God inviting you to take this week, even if you feel unsure? [[41:29]]
The sermon says God stands with the oppressed and hears every cry for justice. Who are the “vulnerable” or “oppressed” in your community, and what is one way you could stand with them or listen to their stories? [[35:40]]
“Liminal spaces” are described as sacred opportunities for transformation. Are you currently in a season of transition or uncertainty? How might you invite God to work in that space, rather than just waiting for it to end? [[42:18]]
The Exodus required both divine power and human willingness. In your own faith journey, where do you see the need for both God’s action and your own steps? [[46:52]]
The sermon mentions welcoming the stranger, speaking truth, and standing with the vulnerable as concrete steps of faith. Which of these feels most challenging for you, and what might help you take a step in that direction? [[42:18]]

Sermon Clips

A wave of dust and thunder rises behind them. A wall of water stretches ahead. And in the middle, the Hebrew people stand frozen, trapped, hearts pounding, unsure if they will live or die. You can hear their desperation in their cry to Moses. Were there no...graves in Egypt so you brought us out here to the wilderness to die? This is the harsh landscape of oppression known to every people who have ever been bound. Fear pressing in, hope slipping out of reach, every path forward blocked, or so it seems. [00:31:36]

Every oppressed people has experienced it. Hebrew captives in Egypt, enslaved Africans in our own country, Jews in the Holocaust, refugees fleeing violence today. Here, now, in our own time, we see how intimidation is wielded as a weapon. Immigrants are treated not as neighbors but as threats. Truth is shouted down. Retribution drives decisions. Power rules with clenched fists. [00:32:33]

You might begin to wonder if a way forward even exists. Perhaps you know this place personally, standing in the dark night of your life, unable to see a path, unsure who or what will deliver you. Even as walls rise before you and storms rage behind, the path ahead may seem swallowed in darkness. And yet, even here, in this desolate place, something begins to stir. A whisper of possibility. A hand stretched toward the unknown. [00:33:19]

When there is no way, God makes a way. Fear bends to courage. Despair cracks to hope. This is the pattern Exodus sets. Divine liberation emerging when all else seems lost. From the Underground Railroad to the Civil Rights Movement to the struggle against apartheid. Communities have discovered the same truth. God makes a way out of no way. [00:34:11]

God makes a way out of no way. It's a phrase that carries the heart of Exodus in one declaration, honoring the harsh reality of no way moments and the unshakable truth that God can still create possibilities where none seem to exist. For centuries, it has sustained people through their own Red Sea moments, their own times of standing trapped between the bondage behind and the treacherous waters ahead. [00:34:53]

Because God is not a neutral bystander. God hears the cries of the suffering. God stands with those who struggle. As James Cone wrote, the God of Exodus is the God of the oppressed. For Cone and for all liberation theologians, this is not an abstract idea. God's salvation is concrete, historical, and always on the side of those who cry out for freedom and for justice. [00:35:32]

Saying God sides with the oppressed does not erase the moral ache. It calls us to wrestle, even as it invites us to believe still that the God who heard the groaning of the Hebrew slaves hears the cries of those seeking safety today. Families separated at borders. Communities torn by gun violence. People with no place to call home. Every person suffering under systems of injustice. God is present in each cry for dignity. Every insistence that freedom and life belong to all. [00:36:32]

In many of the movements for liberation, there are moments when forces in power make desperate attempts to drag people back into bondage. That's what the pharaohs did, the pharaoh did with his armies. Perhaps that's part of what we're witnessing today. The backlash of systems that refuse to yield. The last gasps of those who cannot accept that change is coming. Change that bends toward greater diversity. Greater inclusion. And a people more awake than ever to the unfinished work of justice we all have to do. [00:37:23]

In the story of Exodus, this is the moment when God steps in, not merely to provide an escape, but to carve a path to a new place. The waters part, and a road appears where none seemed possible. And yet the question remains, how did the people move? How did they summon the courage to step into the sea, to walk where the ground had never been, to trust the path that God made through the deep? [00:38:10]

The path does not appear before the courage. It appears as courage moves. The path does not appear. Centuries later, our Quaker siblings found their own words for this same kind of patient discernment. Way will open, they said. Not all at once. Not on our timeline. But step by step. In our faithful movement, God's path appears. And the road unfolds. [00:41:18]

God makes a way out of no way, or way will open, we are naming the same sacred truth. Liberation doesn't wait for ideal conditions. It doesn't wait for clear sight lines. things.but it can still happen in the moments when every reasonable option is exhausted when we're pressed between the chariots of oppression and the waters of uncertainty our calling then is to wade into the waters before the dry ground appears to act as if God's promise is true even when the evidence seems thin [00:42:00]

The most radical thing about nation wasn't the first step it was each step that followed even when no change was visible step by step ankle by knee by waist by shoulder continuing to trust God as the waters rose even when it felt like he was about to be in over his head what does that mean for uslike nation stepping into the sea we too are living in what spiritual teacher Richard Rohr calls liminal space that uncomfortable place where we are betwixt and between the familiar and the unknown where we have left what we thought we could count on but haven't yet seen what's coming next [00:42:51]

Uncertainty then is not an obstacle it's an opening a place where real change can take root where something new has the chance to emerge trapped between Pharaoh's mighty army and a sure death in the sea some sat by the water's edge wringing their hands waiting hoping for better conditions clearer directions safer passage but the one who stepped into the water understood the chaos was creation what felt like endings were birth pangs signs that something new was trying to emerge [00:44:20]

Perhaps then our calling isn't to have all the answers but to step into uncertainty together to be a community carrying our deepest convictions about God's love and justice and we learn to trust that the way will open as we we walk we move faithfully through instability even when the path isn't clear though we long for a firm footing the sacred crossing teaches us something different stability is not in the ground beneath our feet because it's shifting but in God's promise to walk with us and to make for us away so we take concrete steps even when we can't see the full path welcoming the stranger when fear urges us to close doors speaking truth when lies take all the air listening deeply when everyone is shouting choosing compassion when cruelty seems to be winning standing with the vulnerable when it would be safer to stay silent [00:45:18]

Perhaps we might see our forums on faith and immigration as steps in this direction exploring biblical compassion for migrants learning where policies fail hearing real life stories that break our hearts and then learning how we can accompany and advocate for our vulnerable neighbors in this time [00:46:52]

Their Israelites didn't walk an existing path their walking created the path the dry ground appeared beneath their feet as they moved forward the exodus required both divine power and human willingness the courage to step into the churning waters and to trust that the very act of faithful forward movement would reveal the way [00:47:46]

At the feast of Passover when Jewish parents tell their children who they are when they remember what God has done when they sing their songs of faith in the darkness of night this is the story they tell once we were slaves in Egypt and Pharaoh held us with the clenched fist but God brought us out with an outstretched arm and a mighty hand the waters rose up and a way was made where there was no way and we walked freely into a new day [00:48:17]

So here we stand at our own water's edge behind us all that would hold us back ahead of us waters uncharted and unknown the question is not whether God can make a way it's whether we're ready to get our feet weta way out of no way step by faithful step a way out of no way faith full step by faithful step Amen [00:49:08]

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