If we long for where we've been we'll never yearn for where we could be.
"The whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The sons of Israel said to them, "Would that we had died by the LORD'S hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger." (Exodus 16:2-3)
Despite God's miraculous intervention and miracles, the people of Israel became dissatisfied with their present lot in life and looked back longingly for their life in Egypt. There they enjoyed an abundance of food and a predictable routine, but they apparently forgot one thing - they were slaves in captivity! Freedom, with its privileges and risks, seemed less desirable to them than the "security" of slavery.
Perhaps we are not so different. The slavery of past security may seem more desirable than the risk of adventure today. The known past can be more appealing than the risky present.
Little did the Israelites know that God's miraculous provision lay ahead of them. They would be fed manna - food from heaven - for forty years, and their clothes would not wear out or their feet swell in all their forty years of wanderings (Deuteronomy 8:4). More than that, God offered them the ultimate security of their own land and the richness of it.
There is no substitute for the adventure of faith today. There is risk and danger, but there is potential for blessings beyond measure. But we will not pursue or realize what lies before us if we long for what has been.
We live in rapidly changing times. Escalating food and fuel prices threaten the security we have enjoyed. it's easy to long for life as it was a year ago; even a few months ago. And yet our unchanging Creator continues with us and remains faithful regardless of the times.
The adventure before us may involve less financial security and more hunger, but, as Moses said to the Israelites, "He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD." (Deuteronomy 8:3)
The adventure of the times we live in involves leading us away for dependence upon the fickle security of the world and greater dependence upon the nourishing word and provision of God.
Steve
"The whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The sons of Israel said to them, "Would that we had died by the LORD'S hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger." (Exodus 16:2-3)
Despite God's miraculous intervention and miracles, the people of Israel became dissatisfied with their present lot in life and looked back longingly for their life in Egypt. There they enjoyed an abundance of food and a predictable routine, but they apparently forgot one thing - they were slaves in captivity! Freedom, with its privileges and risks, seemed less desirable to them than the "security" of slavery.
Perhaps we are not so different. The slavery of past security may seem more desirable than the risk of adventure today. The known past can be more appealing than the risky present.
Little did the Israelites know that God's miraculous provision lay ahead of them. They would be fed manna - food from heaven - for forty years, and their clothes would not wear out or their feet swell in all their forty years of wanderings (Deuteronomy 8:4). More than that, God offered them the ultimate security of their own land and the richness of it.
There is no substitute for the adventure of faith today. There is risk and danger, but there is potential for blessings beyond measure. But we will not pursue or realize what lies before us if we long for what has been.
We live in rapidly changing times. Escalating food and fuel prices threaten the security we have enjoyed. it's easy to long for life as it was a year ago; even a few months ago. And yet our unchanging Creator continues with us and remains faithful regardless of the times.
The adventure before us may involve less financial security and more hunger, but, as Moses said to the Israelites, "He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD." (Deuteronomy 8:3)
The adventure of the times we live in involves leading us away for dependence upon the fickle security of the world and greater dependence upon the nourishing word and provision of God.
Steve
posted by steve @ 11:19 AM
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