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 16:2-4
The Israelites were slaves to the Egyptians and the living/working conditions in Egypt were horrible. Yet, they continued to grumble about leaving Egypt. Suddenly, Egypt looked very appealing to them, and they preferred the pain of slavery in Egypt rather than depending on God in uncertain conditions.
Uncertainty has a tendency to make us retreat to our past familiar circumstances. The past circumstances may have been horrible, but we would rather be in painful familiar places rather than unnerving and unfamiliar new circumstances.
Sometimes, we wonder why people go back to abusive relationships or return to their addictions. Sometimes children follow their parents’ bad patterns while they may have promised themselves not to ever follow. I have it heard it being said that it is easier to leave Egypt than to let Egypt leave your heart.
Since we like to be in control of our lives, our flesh has a tendency to draw to familiar and controlled environment rather than allowing the spirit man to take the lead in unfamiliar and uncharted territories.
I have been guilty of this quite a few times in my life. I have stayed in bad situations out of the fear of the unknown. I want to live my life differently. I desire to trust God in uncharted territories rather than leaning on my own understanding of the situation.
Our carnal understanding is dependent on our past knowledge. We like to depend on our past experience because it makes us feel confident and in control. On the other hand, our spiritual understanding is dependent on God’s revelation, which gives us fresh experience with God. However, this is the place of vulnerability and dependency, which our carnal nature tries to avoid.
When restlessness, grumbling, or anxiety enter into our hearts, it is a signal that we have begun relying on our carnal nature. It is time to evaluate our thoughts and reject those thoughts that come against the knowledge of God. The uncertainty will try push us back and keep us bound to the past, but we don’t have to come into agreement with it. We have a choice to make by declaring and decreeing who God is for us and what He has spoken over our lives.
Are you in uncertain new circumstances right now? Are you able to seek the mind of Christ in this situation? Are you able to make yourself vulnerable before God?
I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.
