Round and Round

1 These are the words Moses spoke to all Israel in the wilderness east of the Jordan—that is, in the Arabah—opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth and Dizahab. 2 (It takes eleven days to go from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by the Mount Seir road.)
3 In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses proclaimed to the Israelites all that the LORD had commanded him concerning them. 4 This was after he had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, and at Edrei had defeated Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth.
5 East of the Jordan in the territory of Moab, Moses began to expound this law, saying:
6 The LORD our God said to us at Horeb, "You have stayed long enough at this mountain. 7 Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the mountains, in the western foothills, in the Negev and along the coast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the Euphrates. 8 See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land that the LORD swore he would give to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—and to their descendants after them."

Once you get past trying to pronounce all the names in this passage (I just call everyone George and all the lands Main Street…it makes it easier to read, and still gets the point of the passage across), there is some really deep stuff in here. I was going over this passage last night after we read about it in Bible study. The book we’re doing is from Joyce Meyer. If you’re familiar with her at all, she’s very profound in person, but her Bible studies can be quite shallow. We’ve debated over whether they’re for new Christians who she thinks just need the basics (I beg to differ) or whether she is challenging the reader to dig deeper on their own for the meaning behind the points she puts forth. I personally choose to believe the latter, being one to give the benefit of the doubt.

At any rate, she was discussing the “wilderness mentality” that kept the Israelites from entering the Promised Land. Reading the passage, we see that they took 40 years to make a journey that should have taken 11 days. Why? Basically, they wandered in the wilderness afraid to face the giants that loomed in the land they were heading toward. Many times the Israelites complained and even wished they had stayed as slaves in Egypt because they at least knew what they were dealing with. Even though God was visibly with them, giving them shelter, shade, food and everything else they needed for 40 years (what grace!), they talked of going back and fighting the Egyptian army because it was at least more familiar than what lie ahead – and therefore less frightening. I don’t want to give the story away, but it turns out in the end, they only had to face 3 giants. Hardly seems worth putting off victory for 40 stinkin’ years! But fear of the unknown does that. Imagine being willing to stay a slave to your past for 40 years because you fear taking that step to move forward.

How many of us do that? How long have we wandered in the wilderness of our minds and our lives, walking around and around the same mountain because we are afraid to face a giant or two? I read through my blogs and see how I am still carrying stuff with me in a wilderness mentality. I am not going back into my Egypt, but I am not letting it go so I can enter the Promised Land, either. I still talk all the time about my past as if it still has anything to do with my future. It does not. Sure, it got me where I am, but it no longer has anything to do with where I’m going. I am claiming it now, with God’s help. I have dwelt at this mountain long enough.

I am free!

I’ll say it again.

I AM FREE!