Prepare your mind and heart to learn. Remove any potential distractions. Try to put your worries and troubles aside. This will help you invite the Holy Ghost to help you learn.
Begin your study with prayer.
What do you do when you are faced with an obstacle that seems impossible to overcome?
Elder Marcus B. Nash of the Seventy related the story of a pioneer woman who was faced with overwhelming difficulties. Listen carefully for what she did when faced with the impossible.
Exodus 13 records that the children of Israel had arrived in Succoth. In Exodus 14:1–2 we learn that the Lord told Moses to lead the children of Israel south and to camp next to the Red Sea. If you look on the map, you will notice that the most direct route to Canaan would have been to travel north of the Red Sea along the Mediterranean Sea.
In Exodus 14:3–4, we read that God said Pharaoh would harden his heart after he saw where the Israelites had gone. The Joseph Smith Translation in Exodus 14:4, footnote a, makes it clear that the Lord did not harden Pharaoh’s heart. Pharaoh hardened his own heart. (See also verse 8, footnote a.)
Read Exodus 14:5–9, and look for what Pharaoh did as the Israelites camped by the Red Sea.
A Horrible Predicament
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles described the situation the Israelites were in:
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Jeffrey R. Holland
“The children of Israel [were in a] horrible predicament. … There were chariots behind them, sand dunes on every side, and just a lot of water immediately ahead. … In this case it was literally a matter of life and death” (Jeffrey R. Holland, “Cast Not Away Therefore Your Confidence” [Brigham Young University devotional, Mar. 2, 1999], 4, speeches.byu.edu).
Read Exodus 14:10–14, looking for how the children of Israel responded when they saw the army of Pharaoh approaching.
A principle taught through the Israelites’ situation is that as we exercise faith by doing what the Lord commands, He will provide a way for us to overcome our challenges.
1. Please answer the following questions:
What are some of the challenges or hardships that face us today?
When have you had faith in the Lord or seen or read about someone else who exercised faith in the Lord?
How did the Lord provide a way for you or this person to overcome a challenge?
One principle we can identify from Exodus 14:30–31 can be stated as follows: Recognizing the works of the Lord in our lives can help increase our trust and faith in Him.
2. Please answer one or both of the following questions:
What do you think you could do to better recognize the Lord’s hand in your life?
When have you recognized the Lord’s power in your life and as a result felt your faith and trust in Him increase?
Imagine that you are traveling in a desert wilderness.
How long do you think you would survive without having water to drink?
The account in Exodus 15 includes the song that Moses and the children of Israel sang to the Lord. The Israelites then traveled for three days without finding any water. After the third day, they came to a place called Marah. Marah had water, but it was bitter and unfit to drink. The children of Israel complained to Moses. He prayed and was shown how to heal the waters so that the Israelites could drink.
The following truths were identified in this lesson:
As we exercise faith by doing what the Lord commands, He will provide a way for us to overcome our challenges.
Recognizing the works of the Lord in our lives can help increase our trust and faith in Him.
How will you seek to recognize the works of the Lord in your life? You may want to think of specific actions you will take and set a goal for yourself.
