Navigating The Wilderness

I have been given a vision of promise for the future. A goal from God, so to speak. Have you ever been given such a word? Maybe it's the vision of a particular ministry or outreach you will be a part of. If so, then you know what I mean about seeing the possibilities of what will be.

Recently I was reading Acts 7. Stephen is speaking to the Sanhedrin and reminding them of Israel's experience in leaving Egypt and traveling to the promise land. At first the Israelites knew where they were headed - a land where sustenance would be found and the harshness of the Egyptian life could be forgotten. But they took their eyes off the promise and let the worries and discomforts of the wilderness they had to traverse cause them to look back to Egypt as though it was a good thing.

They were so unhappy with being uncomfortable and not knowing what lied ahead that they preferred to consider leaving a God who provided shade in the heat of day, light overhead in the dark of night, and, how can we forget, manna. They wanted to return to poverty and beatings. They even wanted to worship a golden calf rather than the God who had proven Himself over and over again.

You're probably thinking, "How could they ever do such a thing?" The place these people left was awful. Who would even look back when there's the promise of freedom, peace, joy, happiness just ahead? Well, I'm here to say that I was convicted of doing the same thing as I read Acts 7. Now granted, I'm not traveling away from the same terrible things the Israelites experienced. But, I was lingering on the "what if's." My understanding from God was that every time I thought about a different word or action I would've, could've, should've taken I turned my eyes from the promise land and looked back to Egypt, so to speak. I don't want to do that.

I want the better life of the promise land. Don't you? What goal has God given you? Are you just starting out? Know that there will be a wilderness before you get to the final goal. Hopefully, it won't be forty long years for us, but it may feel like it. So no matter what comes our way, let's keep our eyes on the promise of the future and leave the lesser way behind us. May God have greater mercy on you and I as we work to maintain the right focus on the goal He has set before us.