Personal Exodus
By
Jen Wollner
“Why
am I discouraged? Why am I restless? I trust you! I will praise you again
because you help me, and you are my God!”
Psalm
43:5 (CEV)
Do you ever long for the “good ol’ days”?
Wishing you were back in a place in your life where things were simple?
Predictable? Safe?
I’ve been struggling with those thoughts a
lot lately. I’m finding myself thinking back to a few months ago when my life
was comfortable and unknowns were minimal. I was excited about changes
happening in my life and the adventures they’d bring. Changes my husband and I
had planned for our family. Changes we believed were being guided by the hand
of our God. But, unexpectedly, we now we find ourselves in turmoil and trouble.
Unplanned changes have come upon us and uncertainty is the defining theme of
our lives. We feel as though we are wandering around in the “desert,” instead
of enjoying the journey of getting to the “promised land” we thought we’d be in
by now.
In the book of Exodus, we read about the
Israelites and their literal wandering in the desert after God rescued them
from 430 years of slavery in Egypt. They pleaded with Him for years to free
them but now, as they struggle through the desert looking for the Promised Land
God clearly said He was giving to them, they have only one thing on their
minds: the good ol’ days. One moment they are celebrating their freedom by
praising God through song (Exodus
15:1-21), and the next, complaining about their circumstances and
reminiscing about how good they had it in Egypt (Exodus
16:3)!
Sometimes we find ourselves in our own
personal “exodus.” We welcome the Lord’s leading as we move forward in our
lives. But when the journey doesn’t look the way we think it should - - when
trials come and we find ourselves wandering and waiting in the desert - - we
long for the past, even if that past included slavery or oppression. Anything
predictable is more appealing than the unknown.
In my time in the desert, God has been
teaching me that looking back steals our joy for the amazing future He has
planned for us. Our focus ought to be on Him, trusting Him to be with us
through the difficult part of the journey and to lead us in the way we should
go. All the way to the joyous Promised Land!
GOING DEEPER:
1. Do you find yourself in a “desert” today?
In what ways have you taken your eyes off of Him and lost your joy? For what do
you have to be grateful in this journey?
2. Who in your life is struggling? How can
you encourage her toward the Lord as she walks through this difficult time?
FURTHER READING:
Jen
and her husband are busily parenting three elementary-aged children. She serves on the leadership team for
Mission: Hope, Oakwood’s orphan care ministry.
