Next Generation Thoughts
Going Back to Egypt
Have you ever found yourself in one of those moments where an old song comes on the radio, and it takes you back to the “good ole days”? Well, that happened to me just the other day.
On my music app, sometimes I just hit shuffle, and it plays everything at random. It pulled up this old love song from my high school days. You remember those? As the song came on, I found myself singing along with it, not thinking anything into it specifically. Then, when I least expected it, my mind started to drift to the past, precisely my high school days. Once I was “there”, I started thinking to myself “man, if I knew how to play guitar, sing better, and etc. (meaning, all the things I know now), life would have been different for me back then, and would have been just a little bit better.”
But as I got lost in that train of thought, God met me. In fact, He put a specific question my heart and mind to think about. The question was as follows: Why do you want to go back to Egypt?
I thought to myself for a moment, saying “Egypt? What do you mean?” He soon placed in my mind the multiple accounts of the Israel nation. You know, the ones where they started complaining in the wilderness, crying out and throwing fits to Moses saying “we should have stayed in Egypt. At least we had this and that.” Then it made since. I was reminiscing to not only a time where I was dealing with secret sins, trying to be a “good Christian”, but also that me day dreaming about altering my past was actually very selfish in itself, because I was the one who was ultimately going to benefit from such a change.
Now understand, not all past memories are bad to think about and find joy in; marriages, births, graduations, etc. These are great to think about and rejoice in Jesus for making it possible to have such experiences. But what is dangerous is to get lost into wishing something was different for a momentary fix of happiness or pleasure in past. And, whether or not we want to hear it, the truth is it is super selfish.
God was asking me why I would want to go back to a time of brokenness and lies.
But I think God is also telling EVERYONE, who will listen, the same thing today:
Reminiscing on the past is not a bad thing. In fact, looking back on what Jesus has done for you and me is a great thing, as I said earlier. What is dangerous is when we look pack to the past and make statements like “What if?” or “If only…”. Why? Because I think it takes us to place where we easily forget what Jesus has done for you and me. It takes us to a secret place that, if we are honest with ourselves, is really for selfish gain, and even becoming ungrateful for what God has done, and currently doing, for you and me. But ask yourself what is better to reminisce about:
- if you would have done x, y, z, you would have the relationship of your high school dreams, would have been captain of the football team, would have graduated from college, or have that dream job that should have been yours?
- Or, when you were at rock bottom from all the ridiculous decisions you made in your past life, and then Jesus shows up to not only save your soul from your sins, but redeem you from a life of brokenness into a new life of hope and purpose?
You make the decision which one sounds better.
Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:1-12 to LEARN from Israel’s past mistakes, not MIMIC them. They kept wanting to go back to Egypt, a place of oppression and pain. But God wanted to take them to a place of freedom and joy. In their complaining and longing for the past, they took their focus off of God, and fell into deeper sins and brokenness, thus bringing judgement upon themselves. God wants to keep you focused on what lies ahead, on what is coming; Jesus!
So, if your mind takes you down memory lane today, go! Reminisce on past adventures and moments that were exciting. Then, thank Jesus for making such things possible. Thank Jesus for the new life He has given you with His life, death, and resurrection. But be careful not to get trapped into the rabbit whole of wishing you could go back to “Egypt”, and daydream about changing something for your own gain, because you lost the art of being grateful. It’s a snare waiting to snag you up.
LEARN from Israel. Don’t MIMIC them.
Blessings,
Nick
Have you ever found yourself in one of those moments where an old song comes on the radio, and it takes you back to the “good ole days”? Well, that happened to me just the other day.
On my music app, sometimes I just hit shuffle, and it plays everything at random. It pulled up this old love song from my high school days. You remember those? As the song came on, I found myself singing along with it, not thinking anything into it specifically. Then, when I least expected it, my mind started to drift to the past, precisely my high school days. Once I was “there”, I started thinking to myself “man, if I knew how to play guitar, sing better, and etc. (meaning, all the things I know now), life would have been different for me back then, and would have been just a little bit better.”
But as I got lost in that train of thought, God met me. In fact, He put a specific question my heart and mind to think about. The question was as follows: Why do you want to go back to Egypt?
I thought to myself for a moment, saying “Egypt? What do you mean?” He soon placed in my mind the multiple accounts of the Israel nation. You know, the ones where they started complaining in the wilderness, crying out and throwing fits to Moses saying “we should have stayed in Egypt. At least we had this and that.” Then it made since. I was reminiscing to not only a time where I was dealing with secret sins, trying to be a “good Christian”, but also that me day dreaming about altering my past was actually very selfish in itself, because I was the one who was ultimately going to benefit from such a change.
Now understand, not all past memories are bad to think about and find joy in; marriages, births, graduations, etc. These are great to think about and rejoice in Jesus for making it possible to have such experiences. But what is dangerous is to get lost into wishing something was different for a momentary fix of happiness or pleasure in past. And, whether or not we want to hear it, the truth is it is super selfish.
God was asking me why I would want to go back to a time of brokenness and lies.
But I think God is also telling EVERYONE, who will listen, the same thing today:
Reminiscing on the past is not a bad thing. In fact, looking back on what Jesus has done for you and me is a great thing, as I said earlier. What is dangerous is when we look pack to the past and make statements like “What if?” or “If only…”. Why? Because I think it takes us to place where we easily forget what Jesus has done for you and me. It takes us to a secret place that, if we are honest with ourselves, is really for selfish gain, and even becoming ungrateful for what God has done, and currently doing, for you and me. But ask yourself what is better to reminisce about:
- if you would have done x, y, z, you would have the relationship of your high school dreams, would have been captain of the football team, would have graduated from college, or have that dream job that should have been yours?
- Or, when you were at rock bottom from all the ridiculous decisions you made in your past life, and then Jesus shows up to not only save your soul from your sins, but redeem you from a life of brokenness into a new life of hope and purpose?
You make the decision which one sounds better.
Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:1-12 to LEARN from Israel’s past mistakes, not MIMIC them. They kept wanting to go back to Egypt, a place of oppression and pain. But God wanted to take them to a place of freedom and joy. In their complaining and longing for the past, they took their focus off of God, and fell into deeper sins and brokenness, thus bringing judgement upon themselves. God wants to keep you focused on what lies ahead, on what is coming; Jesus!
So, if your mind takes you down memory lane today, go! Reminisce on past adventures and moments that were exciting. Then, thank Jesus for making such things possible. Thank Jesus for the new life He has given you with His life, death, and resurrection. But be careful not to get trapped into the rabbit whole of wishing you could go back to “Egypt”, and daydream about changing something for your own gain, because you lost the art of being grateful. It’s a snare waiting to snag you up.
LEARN from Israel. Don’t MIMIC them.
Blessings,
Nick
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Wow! This is soo good. Thank you for sharing Gods heart for us.