Hey Guys! Welcome to Maranatha Blogs where we explore the heart of God for us. Maranatha blogs was created with the intent of being a safe place to be reminded of our purpose with Jesus Christ as we await his return. I use my practical everyday life experiences to bring across the heart of God in a relatable way.
I wanted to title this blog leave Egypt, but that as a headliner would be very confusing as symbolic as it is to what I’m about to say. LOL! Get comfortable because I’m about to pull at your heart strings and mine through the clear guidance of the Holy Spirit, amen!
I just want us to reflect today on all the instances where God has specifically deterred us from a place, person, things or habits with the intent of us leaving them permanently. It’s time to stand resolute having exited those things. If you have not fully exited or in the process of doing so, I believe I have something important to share with you today. More often than not the things that we need to turn away from or have been delivered from are the things that have been a comfort to us. Even the things that we know are harmful for our lives are hard to evade or leave permanently. It’s like having to go on a diet or exercise. Good for our bodies but completely difficult to execute. This week through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I was reminded of the importance of leaving the things behind that are meant to be left behind. I was sternly reminded of why I need to stay away from what God removed from my life. Before I go further in talking about this take a walk with me back to the story of the children of Israel and their deliverance from slavery.
In the Old Testament we see Moses being used by God to deliver Israel from slavery. Of course through God’s intervention of ten plagues. In contrast, as the story goes further along the people of Israel were then in the wilderness. Having forgotten what God had delivered them from by the book of Numbers chapter 11 there was much bickering and complaining. They were basically lamenting on all the food from the melons, to the garlic, to the cucumbers. They even questioned why they had left Egypt. God moved them from their place of suffering to a place of freedom. That freedom came with much uncertainty and need for total trust in the sovereignty of what God can do. It is chilling to quite frankly imagine that an entire generation of Israelites died before seeing the promise land (the land of Canaan). Their inability to trust in the sovereignty of God kept them in the wilderness longer than the intended time. God kept his promise in taking them into the promise land,however, their desire for a return to the place that they were delivered from kept them captive for a very long time.
Sometimes we do this. Sometimes we cry, travail fast, beg, pray and even fret about our circumstances to God. He then snatches us right up out of that captivity, he delivers, he heals. Then all of a sudden things become uncertain because our walk with God requires faith, trust and it throws us into the unknown. This causes things to become less and less familiar. The more unfamiliar things become the more uncomfortable we become. More often than not we take this opportunity to run back to things that feel familiar. It feels comfortable we know what will come next. These are often times things we have experienced deliverance from or things that have been stripped away while God has been refining us. Do you know what awaits us on the end of deliverance, on the end of unfamiliar places that God brings us to, the uncomfortable seasons? It’s the promises of God for us when he brings us up out of the snares of the enemy. Every time we run back to a place that feels familiar that’s bad for us. We are drawing out the process.
So Guys, it’s time to serve notice on our Egypt. The place that you have been delivered from but every time God pulls you into uncertainty you run back. Notice is served it’s time to leave. Get up out of that place and stand resolute in the Uknown of what God has to offer. Fix your eyes on Jesus. When Peter walked on water it was new territory, unknown and unchartered but necessary. Even though where God is taking you feels unsure I can assure you that his plans are good (Jeremiah 29:11). God wants to deliver you again. He’s waiting with loving arms. Come as you are, stay awake with him and do not return to the place that he has uprooted you from.
Let’s Pray (Say this prayer with me) Father I come to you today with thanksgiving. I thank you for saving me and I thank you for your guidance. I thank you for Grace that has saved me, delivered me, freed me and healed me. I ask of you today to give me the peace, faith and endurance for me to walk in the path you’ve paved before me. Help me to accept freedom and rest in the stillness of your goodness. In Jesus name, amen!
Maranatha 