Exodus: Stop Walking in CirclesSample

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday." Psalm 37:4-6

Has God ever called you into an unknown desert journey toward a new land? From one season into something new? Maybe he’s called you to switch jobs, cities, friend groups, or any life-changing move.

In 2021 I moved from the small town of Grants Pass, Oregon to Dallas, Texas. I went from knowing all the back roads to my favorite swimming hole to having to navigate freeways and toll roads. Seriously, what did people do before GPS on their phones? Actually, I can remember - we called ahead, wrote it down, and printed out MapQuest directions.

One of the things I love the most is that Siri reroutes me if there’s a delay in the road ahead. If I’m quick enough to follow her directions, I can avoid back-ups on the freeway and get where I’m going on time. Siri has the ability - most of the time - to see the whole city map. I can only see what’s right in front of me.

In Exodus we see the children of Israel packing up and fleeing from their oppressor. They are literally trusting God to lead them out of Egypt, through the desert, and into the promised land. They have no idea how to get there on their own, and they don’t have any of the skills or experience necessary to travel the army-laden, dangerous path to their destination. Why?

Why didn’t God just lead them right into the promised land? Why did they wander the desert for 40 years? Well, again, we do a deep dive into this in the book, but basically, it’s because they weren’t ready. They weren’t just going to walk into Canaan - they had to defeat dozens of other armies to conquer that land. These people were not ready to mobilize to war.

Even when God gives us the green light to move forward towards his promise, it doesn’t mean that we have everything we need to settle into our new territory yet. We often need to build strength and character along the way, and the lessons we learn will serve us well in our new season, but they will also play a vital part in breaking the cycles that keep us moving in circles.

God knows where we come from and, thankfully, He knows the road ahead. He is the originator of the promise, the prophetic word, and the land we will occupy. He prepares us by using what he’s already taught us in the past, and also by teaching us along the way. This is why it’s important for us to often remind ourselves of how God has been faithful in our lives. This was also important for the Israelites.

God knows what lies ahead for the children of Israel, and so He tells them to remember. He knows that stopping to remember his faithfulness will help strengthen them for the road ahead. In Hebrew, the word remember is zakar. It means to “recall to mind.” God wanted his children to recall all that He had done for them and for their ancestors.

Everything you’re going through now will teach you what you need to know. It is possible to stop walking in circles and move forward, but we have to be open to God’s guidance and we have to remember the things we have learned along the way.

Prayer:
Remind us today, God, that you are our hiding place. Call us deeper, Lord, into what you are doing. Help us to remember your faithfulness and strengthen us for the road ahead. Thank you for the lessons you’ve taught me along the way. Help me be open to the lessons that are still to come. I’m here for it, Lord, and I can’t wait to see what you’re going to do next.