Lessons from Exodus IV

Lessons from Exodus IV

This week we are looking at some observations from Exodus about why people return to bondage or patterns of sin. As we consider Israel's exodus from Egypt, I believe we can glean some insight about this very common human tendency.

Exodus 14: 10-11 And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the LORD. Then they said to Moses, "Because there are no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt?

Why does going back to Egypt sound like a better option that moving forward to freedom?

Bondage, by its very nature, does not release us easily. Freedom is already ours through the finished work on the cross of Christ. Yet, for many of us the experience of freedom remains elusive.

The journey from bondage to freedom will bring us to a crisis of faith. Our backs will be up against our own Red Sea.

We remain in bondage by the lies and errors we continue to believe. Those lies and errors in our thinking will be challenged by the truth as we earnestly pursue freedom. Before we can experience the winds of change, we will need to decide which we will believe, the lies (that feel so true) or God's truth. When we choose to take God at his word and believe Him, we will begin to feel the gentle breeze of freedom blow through the recesses of our hearts and minds.

When we face that crisis of faith, we must choose between believing what feels true and what is true. Fear and unbelief will tempt us to believe what feels true and strengthen the hold of bondage in our hearts. Choosing to believe God in spite of our feelings will grow our faith and loosen the grip of bondage in our lives and we will take a definitive step towards experiencing freedom.

When you come to a crisis of faith, choose faith.

Diane Hunt is the Director of Addiction Recovery Ministries at America's KESWICK, Biblical Counselor, Conference and retreat speaker, Victory Call editor, wife, mother, grandmother, and nut and not necessarily in that order.