Delighting in the Word

What is My Egypt?

“Then the whole community broke into loud cries, and the people wept that night. All the Israelites complained about Moses and Aaron, and the whole community told them, ‘If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness! Why is the LORD bringing us into this land to die by the sword? Our wives and children will become plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?’ So they said to one another, ‘Let’s appoint a leader and go back to Egypt.’”  – Numbers 14:1-4

    The Israelites had been rescued from slavery in Egypt. As the Lord was leading them through the wilderness, it didn’t take long for them to forget about the miracle of their freedom and to start complaining. They wanted to go back to what was comfortable and familiar, even though it meant a life of enslavement, instead of trusting that God would provide for them in the unknown. 

     Human nature hasn’t changed that much in thousands of years. How often do we resist the journey through the wilderness because we can’t see the Promised Land, or we don’t even believe that this good place exists?

    This prompts me to ask the question:

     What is my Egypt? 

    What is God calling me away from that I’m afraid to leave because it’s comfortable and familiar? What new and awesome promises does He have for me that might be fulfilled if I would just take the leap, get out of my comfort zone, and trust Him? Looking back on my life, I can see that I made some major life decisions out of fear, wanting to stay close to what was familiar. One example of this was the decision about where to go to college. I didn’t even consider going away to school because the thought of moving to another city on my own at 17 seemed impossible and daunting. In other situations, I now feel like I was thinking too narrowly and wasn’t open to other possibilities and paths that the Lord might have had for me. Today I sometimes wonder how my life would be different if I had made different choices.

     Another aspect of this story from Numbers is the spies that were sent to scope out the land of Canaan. Most of the spies came back reporting that the inhabitants of the land were much bigger and stronger than they were and could not be overtaken. This caused the Israelites to cry and grumble against Moses and Aaron, complaining about the trials they were facing in the wilderness and pleading to go back to Egypt because they were afraid. Remember, these were the same people for whom God had parted the Red Sea, allowing them to cross on dry land. In the desert, they were sustained by God’s miraculous provision of manna. (How quickly I can forget His provision in the past whenever I’m faced with a new trial.)

     On the other hand, Joshua and Caleb, who had just explored the same land, reported that it was “an exceedingly good land.” They reminded the people of God’s promise that He would bring them into this good land that was flowing with milk and honey. Joshua and Caleb also admonished the Israelites not to rebel against the Lord, and not to fear the Canaanites. 

     Which voice am I listening to – the voice that stokes fear in me and makes me afraid to move, or the voice that encourages me to trust? I pray that I will never make any more decisions out of fear, or let that fear keep me trapped in inactivity. Instead, I pray that I will boldly move forward and follow the Lord’s leading in my life.