Monday Meditation: Better than slavery in the desert of fear
Just when you think someone has changed his ways, he displays the unfortunate traits that have hurt him before.
The gossip tells something he promised to keep secret—and did, until he didn’t.
The dieter avoids all desserts until life’s pressure piles on and sends her back to the ice cream store.
The recovering addict, faced with pain or stress or sometimes boredom, takes a drink or finds a dealer.
Plodders plod. Procrastinators know they’ll do it tomorrow. And your friends who are always late show up for dinner tonight exactly 14 minutes after the time you told them.
It’s just easier to travel the paths we know than to learn a new way. For some, the ruts become so deep they can’t imagine summoning the strength to climb up and crawl out of them.
Human behavior
Given this universal tendency to avoid change, perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised at the behavior of Pharaoh and the Israelites recorded in Exodus.
Pharaoh regretted freeing the Israelites and decided to chase after their caravan, determined to bring them back to Egypt. He was used to being in charge, getting his way, and ordering things to be as he wanted them. The Israelites’ departure wasn’t a part of his playbook.
And as soon as the Israelites realized the whole military might of Egypt was chasing after them, they quaked. “It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!” they cried out in terror. They knew how to make bricks out of mud under the whip of their masters. They couldn’t cope with the risk that comes with opportunity and the danger that accompanies freedom.
Common problems
They all had the same two problems. First, they were forgetful. It had been only days since God had done what only God could do, sending a succession of plagues on Egypt and sparing only the Israelites’ firstborn sons. Why shouldn’t they believe God would act again?
The answer is in their second shortfall. They were self-centered. Pharaoh had been humiliated, and the economy that sustained his wealth was threatened. Meanwhile, the Israelites feared for their very lives.
The Lord will rescue
We’re afraid, too. Incurable disease has shoved us out of our comfort zone to a place where the future seems uncertain at best and terrifying at worst. Meanwhile, we’ve forgotten the help and hope at our doorstep in even recent days: the encouragement of a friend; the service of a caregiver; the meal from a neighbor; the advice of a counselor. We’re not sure about future finances, but we haven’t run out of money yet. We don’t know what new, sad symptoms will appear, but we’ve learned to adjust to every change we’ve seen so far.
God has made a path through our wilderness. Maybe the charge of Moses to his people would work for us, too: “Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today.”
We can choose. We need not be bound by fear or pride. For all of his people, for us this week, God wants something better than slavery.
Read: Exodus 14:5-31
Pray: O Lord, our enemies are right behind us, and we’re not seeing any dry land ahead. Help us this week to realize how you are protecting, guiding, and leading. Lift us from slavery to ourselves into joy that comes only from you.
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