I am writing over at The Glorious Table this week. Thanks to these incredible folks for the privilege of contributing to them.
The kid in me has always been fascinated by the story of God’s people being delivered out of Egypt. The beginning of the journey is so intense and exciting! God starts by parting the Red Sea with a dramatic display of his power. The Egyptians, full of rage, give chase onto that bared sea floor, only to be foiled by the return of the waters. And then there’s the redemption at the end, when Joshua leads them into the promised land. It’s so satisfying. God’s people are finally free, roaming about in a land flowing with milk and honey.
It’s a great read. However, as captivating as all the bookend drama is, my focus has shifted as I have gotten older. It is no longer the drama at the beginning or the redemption at the end that fascinates me the most. Rather, it is now the marathon of the Israelite people through the desert in the middle that captures both my attention and my affection. The middle is where most of us are most of the time.
Those beloved Israelites. They are God’s chosen people, and they make a habit of making one hot mess of a decision after another. The longer I walk with God, the more relatable this crew wandering through the desert becomes. In our modern-day walks with Jesus, we sometimes have this mistaken idea that “if God were just sitting right here,” we would be more likely to know what we are supposed to do—or to do what we are supposed to do. Well, unless you and I are a holier bunch than the people he rescued from Egypt, that idea simply isn’t true. We wouldn’t do any better than they did.
To read the full post go to The Glorious Table here.
Anne Rulo 