The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” Exodus 16:3
So You Wanna Go Back to Egypt?!
My husband and I are entering into a new season of life. The Lord opened the door and gave us the desire of our heart – to move nearer to our grandchildren. For the last 8 years, we have lived far from them due to work locations. A few weeks ago, the Lord opened the door for us to move to Heath, Ohio, only 3.5 hours away from our daughters and grandchildren.
At first we were so excited, but as we began to deal with all the things that needed to be done, i.e. selling a house, planning out the sequence of things and all the other stressors that go along with relocating and starting a new job, there were days when I thought to myself, “It would be so much easier to just stay put.”
This got me to thinking about Moses and the journey he took leading the Israelites. While trapped in Egypt, the Israelites cried out to be free from their circumstances. God sent Moses and Aaron to rescue them. At first, people were probably excited at the prospect of freedom and entering into the land of milk and honey. However, each time they were faced with adversity, the people grumbled and complained and longed to go back to what was comfortable.
It’s easy for us to look at the Israelites and think, “How ungrateful!” …And yet, how many times in life do we do the very same thing? It is so much easier to stick with the familiar than to obey the voice of the Lord. It is easier to sit at a table with a group of folks we know, than to reach out to a stranger and draw them in. It is easier to stay at home at night than to take part in something going on at church, or in our children’s schools. It is easier to remain in our own yard, than to reach out to our neighbors.
What is comfortable…feels right.
Yet, God has so much more for us!
This message is very short and simple, but the challenge is huge. Join me in asking the Lord to show you where you have settled for what is “comfortable” and to open your eyes to the opportunities that He has for you to step out of the boat and show His love. I believe we will all be amazed at what He has in store for us!
