The entire Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by pots of meat and ate all the bread we wanted. Instead, you brought us into this wilderness to make this whole assembly die of hunger!” – Exodus 16:2-3
Imagine yourself as an Israelite in historic Egypt. You’re 24 years old and all you have ever known is Egypt. You were born into this place, you know all too well its customs and its hand of slavery over your people. Your parents were Egyptian slaves as were their parents and their parents parents. You’ve been taught your trade to perfection through the hundreds of years your ancestors were given to hone their skills. You are good at what you do, maybe even the best in your family.Do not let yourself be defined by an Egypt in your past and cause you to miss the hope God is bringing you into. The beauty of a new path comes from the mystery and hope that lies around each turn.
You go to work every morning shaping the bricks to build monuments to visions and dreams that are not your own. But, you simply focus on completing your work and look forward to returning home that evening to your lovely wife and your two young children. All in hope to share a simple dinner and enjoy one another’s company for the few short hours you have before heading to bed only to start the same process all over again in the morning. While you lay awake waiting to drift to sleep you can’t help but think there has to be something more than this.
The stories of God have been passed down to you from generation to generation. But, you can’t help but wonder if the hope of these stories will be seen in your lifetime. Yet, you don’t worry about it too much because you have food on your table and a decent job…
There’s only one problem… You’re still a slave.
But you have become indifferent to this truth and have simply resigned to yourself that slavery is your lifestyle and a brick maker is who you are; at the end of the day, you reason, its not all that bad. Yet, nothing could be further from the truth and there are still a few around you that believe the same as they cry out to God to relieve them from this oppression… To hear their cries…
And He does.
So how does any of this matter today. I would venture to say many of us have found ourselves just like the Israelites grumbling in the desert for a life that God just rescued us from.
Do not let yourself be defined by an Egypt in your past and cause you to miss the hope God is bringing you into. The beauty of a new path comes from the mystery and hope that lies around each turn.You are defined not by your Egypt but by the choices you make while in the desert
Just like the Israelites we can forget who our true provider is… And, even greater that He can be trusted…
You are not your Egypt.
You are of much greater value. It’s time to let go of your Egypt so you can build on the hope and grace that lies ahead. And that’s going to take faith. Faith that God will keep His word and faith that even though you don’t understand the how’s and why’s, He does… and as long as you are willing to follow He will guide you through his Spirit into the fullness of life that shows His mercy and grace to the world around us.
So, may you find peace in your desert. May you remember that God can be trusted. May the wonder and depth of Gods love be rekindled in your spirit. May you roam your desert in peace knowing that each step you take is one more step on the journey God is painting through your life. May you see that every great painting started with a blank, bland, desert like canvas. May you find peace in your confusion and rest in your soul. And may you find you are defined not by your Egypt but by the choices you make while in the desert.
