In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 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 16:2,3
Fear comes to mind when we think of change. Perhaps it comes from the unknown or just a lack of trust. We like things the way they are, better to leave things alone. But sometimes change is out of our control and sometimes it’s really a good thing.
Both of those scenarios were true for the Israelites. They had been enslaved for over 400 years. You would think they were ready for a change. Is it possible for anyone not to realize when they are in bondage? Yes it is possible. Sometimes we are in bondage due to ignorance, fear, laziness or just sin. One prime example of bondage is addiction. Addiction to drugs, alcohol, sex, pornography, money, attention, food, work, gaming, a person and countless other things can make a slave of you. In some cases we may think this addiction is a good thing. That would be wrong. A student once asked me doesn’t everyone have an addiction. Without hesitation I answered “No!” I quickly explained just enjoying or liking something does not make it an addiction. It becomes an addiction when it controls us. Gaming is a great example. Who among us does not enjoy a good game, but when our relationships suffer, or we can’t hold down a job or pass our classes in school because of it, then it’s an addiction. We become slaves.
These Israelites were enslaved and many wanted to be free I am sure, but it seems like many were enjoying the security and the provision of the Egyptian. God had other plans. Moses showed up and 10 plagues later they were free. Freedom has its price. They had to defend themselves and seek shelter and food among other things. But they were free! They should have all been celebrating and loving Moses. But instead they complained about all the “wonderful” things they had when they were slaves. Crazy! It took 40 years, but a new generation did arise ready for the change God had in mind and loving every minute of it. That was one of Israel’s greatest generations. They would conquer the promise land.
Are you ready for change? Perhaps you are in bondage and don’t even know it. Are you ready for all that God wants to do in your life? We are often unaware of the opportunities God is opening up in our lives. What we see as pain is God removing something that has to go. What we see as difficulties is simply an exercise in making us strong. What we see as persecution is meant to just build our faith. Those impossible situations are there just to teach us to Trust God so that we may become the warriors the Israelites became. We too have a promise land to conquer in our lives. But we must learn to endure the present hardships, challenges, trust God and take a brave step in Faith. I have a feeling, things are about to change!
Try these Verses on Fear
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