When trouble comes, most of us instinctively ask the same question: “How can I get out of this?”
It is a perfectly understandable question. If you are sick, you want to get well. If you are struggling financially, you want enough money to pay the bills. If there is conflict in your family, you want peace. If your job is miserable, you want another job.
We want relief.
But the second principle in Robert J. Morgan’s The Red Sea Rules invites us to ask a different question:
Be more concerned for God’s glory than for your relief.
That is also the theme of the second lesson in my Red Sea Rules question-based Bible study.
It is not that relief is wrong. We should pray for healing, provision, reconciliation, and deliverance. But there is a bigger question Christians can learn to ask in difficult circumstances:
“God, how can You be glorified in this?”
God Had a Purpose at the Red Sea
When the Israelites arrived at the Red Sea, they wanted one thing: escape.
God had something bigger in mind.
In Exodus 14:4, God said of Pharaoh and his army, “I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD” (NIV).
Israel saw a crisis. God saw an opportunity to reveal Himself.
Pharaoh thought he was pursuing a group of helpless former slaves. Militarily, the contest was absurd. Egypt had chariots and soldiers. Israel had families, livestock, and whatever possessions they could carry out of Egypt.
But Pharaoh had failed to account for God.
The study points out that while Pharaoh thought he was pursuing a military strategy, he was actually moving toward the fulfillment of God’s purposes. The events at the Red Sea would demonstrate who God was and bring Him glory.
God was going to do more than rescue Israel.
He was going to reveal Himself.
We Usually Want Relief More Than Glory
That is where this lesson gets uncomfortable.
Suppose I am going through something difficult. I may pray, “Lord, get me out of this.”
There is nothing wrong with that prayer. The Bible is filled with people asking God for deliverance.
But what if God wants to do something in the situation before He changes the situation?
What if He wants to change me?
What if He wants someone else to see Christ in the way I respond?
What if He wants to deepen my faith?
What if His purposes are bigger than my comfort?
Our natural question is, “How quickly can this end?”
A more mature question might be, “How can God be glorified while I am here?”
That does not mean we enjoy suffering. Christianity does not require us to pretend that painful things aren’t painful. It means we believe that even painful circumstances can become places where God does meaningful work.
Jesus Asked the Same Question
One of the most interesting examples explored in this lesson comes from John 11.
Lazarus was sick. Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus, expecting Him to come and help.
Jesus loved Lazarus.
Jesus loved Mary and Martha.
And Jesus waited.
That must have been terribly confusing.
When Jesus finally arrived, Lazarus had died. From Mary and Martha’s perspective, Jesus was late. Both sisters eventually said essentially the same thing: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
But Jesus had said earlier, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it” (John 11:4 NIV).
The study makes an important observation about the story: God’s glory and God’s love are not enemies. Jesus delayed for the glory of God, but John also emphasizes His love for this family.
Mary and Martha wanted healing.
Jesus intended resurrection.
Sometimes we ask God to solve the problem one way because that is the only solution we can imagine. God may have something entirely different in mind.
How Can God Be Glorified in This?
This may be one of the most useful questions you can learn to ask.
You lose your job.
“How can God be glorified in this?”
Someone treats you unfairly.
“How can God be glorified in the way I respond?”
You receive frightening news.
“How can I demonstrate trust in God here?”
Your plans fall apart.
“What would faithfulness look like now?”
The second lesson in Red Sea Rules puts the issue plainly: rather than making our first question, “What’s the fastest way out of this situation?” Christian maturity teaches us to ask how God can be glorified through it.
That doesn’t mean we don’t pray for the Red Sea to disappear.
It means that while we are standing beside it, we remember there is something more important than our immediate comfort.
God’s glory.
How Do We Glorify God?
This raises an obvious question: What does glorifying God actually look like?
The study summarizes it simply: “We glorify God by enjoying him, loving him, trusting him, and by obeying his will, commands, and law.”
We glorify God when we trust Him even though we don’t understand Him.
We glorify God when we obey even when obedience is costly.
We glorify God when we refuse to allow hardship to turn us bitter.
We glorify God when people look at the way we handle difficulty and see evidence that our confidence rests in something greater than favorable circumstances.
And we glorify God when we praise Him.
Psalm 50:23 says, “Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me” (NIV). Praise reminds us of God’s character and His past faithfulness. Remembering what God has done helps us trust Him for what we cannot yet see. That connection between remembering God’s faithfulness and glorifying Him is emphasized throughout this lesson.
A Better Prayer in Difficult Times
Perhaps you are facing your own Red Sea right now.
By all means, ask God for relief.
Ask Him to heal. Ask Him to provide. Ask Him to open the door. Ask Him to restore the relationship. Ask Him to solve the problem.
But add another prayer:
“Lord, while I am here, glorify Yourself through me.”
That prayer changes the way we see our circumstances. Instead of viewing every difficulty merely as something to escape, we begin looking for what God might do in us and through us.
Israel wanted out.
God wanted glory.
In the end, they got both.
Study Red Sea Rules With Your Group
This article is based on Lesson 2 of my Red Sea Rules: A Question-Based Bible Study Guide, a 10-session study based on Robert J. Morgan’s The Red Sea Rules and Exodus 14–15.
Each lesson includes discussion questions, Scripture, practical application, and insights from respected Christian teachers. It is designed for adult small groups, Bible study groups, discipleship groups, and anyone who wants to learn how to trust God when life doesn’t go according to plan.
Red Sea Rules is available now on Amazon.
You can also learn more and access the study at Good Questions Have Groups Talking:
Next in the series: The More You Look at Your Problem, the Bigger It Gets
