Ending the Similarities

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 16:3 NASB

I am always amazed at how quickly the children of Israel draw the conclusion that their present circumstance is going to actually end their life! In Exodus 14, they are sure they are going to die at the hands of the approaching Egyptian army. In Exodus 16, they are sure they are going to be killed by hunger and then by thirst. No matter what threat they face, their response is to think of the worst possible outcome and own it as truth. They saw the drama of their life unfold in front of them and thought they knew what the final act would look like. I marvel at God’s graciousness to deliver them from the very things they feared would be their annihilation. Each incident was actually a test to see whether or not they would finally trust the heart, wisdom, and power of almighty God! How He longed for them to not only know the truth but to live by it!

Are we really very different from those who lived in the wilderness? What does it take for us to shake in fear, give up hope, live in despair and defeat, lash out in anger, and be filled with frustration? How long do we last before we feel God has forsaken us, forgotten us, or just stopped thinking about us? What news could be delivered to us that would send us reeling emotionally, mentally, and spiritually?

It might be the loss of a job, failed health, unrealized dreams, or weather related disasters, or changes in profound relationships. But rather than live with a defeated attitude there are things you can do. Be in daily relationship with God and know Him intimately. Review His past provision for you as well as others. Personally apply Scripture to your life. Finally realize that the very thing you think is going to do you in is simply the backdrop for God‘s intervention. He is just as involved, just as attentive, and just as present now as He was in Bible times. He never changes!

Father, I am learning to trust you in the dark like I do in the light. The truth of You that I take in today will be what I hold on to in the midst of the next storm. May nothing in this life shake my confidence in You. Amen.