A story I heard goes like this. A young lady and her father were driving, when all of a sudden, they ran into a violent storm. The young lady asked if she should pull over, but her father said, “No.” The storm worsened as they drove, causing other cars to pull over, yet the father advised his daughter to keep driving. When they made it out of the storm, the father said, “Now, pull over.” This didn’t make sense to the young lady, who felt like they should have pulled over in the storm. The father calmly told her, “Look back. If we had stopped, we’d still be in the storm like those other cars.”
Whenever you’re in a tough spot (God’s process) it’s helpful to look back. Looking back helps you see how far you’ve come. Looking back shows you the things you’ve survived that others did not or are still in.
The Israelites were literally between a rock and a hard place – the Red Sea behind them and the wilderness in front of them. Yet, they looked back (see Exodus 14:26-31) and saw Egyptians who did not survive what they had been through. When you survive things that consume others, praise is mandatory. No wonder Miriam grabbed her tambourine and sang, “Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; he has hurled both horse and rider into the sea” (Exodus 15:21, NLT).
Even in a tough place, like Miriam, you can find ammunition for praising God. Now, it’s your turn. Look back. What have you survived that has defeated others? Who brought you through it? Look back and praise God for His power to take you through the storm!