Forward, Not Backward

Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?

Numbers 14:3

More than once the children of Israel lost focus of how bad life had been when they were slaves in Egypt, and they wanted to return to the land of their bondage. Moses contended with them over and over—with taking the slave out of slavery, but more importantly with taking the slavery out of the slave.

And aren’t we the same way? How easily we forget how bad our former enslavement was when the wilderness season grows too dark, becomes too hard, and lasts too long. Maybe we forget how hard it is to be enslaved by taskmasters like shame, secret hurts, grief, and lies. How easy it is to slip back into our old patterns and start yearning for the old and familiar—even though we know none of it was good for us.

Because we’re human, it’s always easier to default to our old behaviors than to work on forming new ones—just like the children of Israel did. But remember: this is not a drive-through breakthrough. The Lord is leading us through the wilderness to get to freedom, so we can emerge better and stronger because of our time with Him there.

Lord God, I want to be permanently free. When I start yearning for the past, help me stay close to You. Help me trust You for the future beyond the wilderness and stay focused on my freedom.