Digging in My Heels

The Israelites groaned under the hard labor and God heard their cry and remembered them. Not that He had forgotten them. But the time had come to move them from Egypt to the Promised Land. I wonder if they had not been groaning under the oppression, would they have heard God’s call to move? What would entice them to leave Egypt and go and fight the “giants” and claim the land God had promised them?

We see the story unfold and know the ending of the story and forget sometimes how many years it took for God to get the right people in the right place ready to obey. And we forget how hard it was for the people to move away from everything they knew and were comfortable with. They complained in the wilderness, but as I think about it, I am pretty sure I would complain too. They left the comfort of their homes and after God defeated the Egyptians by closing the Red Sea over them, the Israelites shouted with joy! And then the journey began in earnest. They found themselves camping in the desert wilderness, longing for the comfort of their homes. They forgot the slavery part – the expectations by slave masters and the beating when they didn’t meet those expectations. All they could think of was the comfort of their homes and the food they had to eat. And when they faced the possibility of having to confront giants in the land they were being led to, they buckled and dug their heals in and mutinied.

And I wonder, would I have done any better? As I look back over my life, I can see where God has led me. Many of the transitions were hard and painful. I felt like I was in the wilderness wondering if I would ever come out again. I had to face some giants. And I wonder if I ever would have left my comfort if there would have been a choice.  What did God have to do to get me to go to the “promised land” He had for me. Just as He needed to teach the Israelites to trust Him and go even when it wasn’t comfortable, He has needed to teach me to trust Him and be willing to go even when it doesn’t feel comfortable. Maybe if I paid attention to His still, small voice, I wouldn’t need the loud, “GO! NOW!”

That’s the big things. But what about all the little decisions I make daily. Am I willing to hear God’s voice – His nudgings? Or do I need for a bigger, louder voice because I am not tuned in to His channel? When He is nudging me to spend more time with Him, do I make time? Or do I say, “I am too busy. I have so much to do,” and then He has to lay me down in a sick bed or ice me in for a day or two in order to show me that my agenda is not Lord of my life?

Change is usually hard. We all seek comfort and shy away from discomfort. Yet, it is through discomfort that we become more teachable and are more likely to hear God’s voice. By reframing the hard things in my life as part of the journey to the promised land, I can become more content with my circumstances rather than fighting them. I can watch for ways God is working and align myself better with Him. I am free to serve wherever He sends me and I can experience joy because even if I don’t know where I am headed, I know the One who leads the way.

Thank you, Lord, for your patience in leading me even when I dig my heels in. You are so determined to get me safely to the promised land and I want to go willingly and with joy, whatever the circumstances along the way. Amen.