It is fascinating to me how quick we, as humans, are willing to turn back to what we know. People tend to cling to the familiar, even when it is detrimental. Most people desire the comfort of the known, even when that comfort is uncomfortable. That is the story of God's people leaving Egypt. They had been slaves for roughly 400 years, and miraculously God was delivering them from the land of bondage into a land that was fruitful and beautiful. In the process of bringing the His people out of Egypt, God performed many signs and wonders. God parted the Red Sea so His people could cross on dry ground, and then drowned the enemy that was chasing after them before their very eyes. God provided manna, a supernatural food from Heaven's bakery, every morning and brought water out of rock for them to drink. Along their journey from Egypt, at Mount Sinai, God met with Moses to give him the Ten Commandments. While the people were camped at the bottom of the mountain: they watched smoke envelope the mountain, felt the whole mountain shake, and heard the voice of the Lord thunder aloud!
After all those monumental moments and extreme exploits, you would think that these people would believe and obey. You would think that the excitement and anticipation for the Promised Land would be almost too much for them to contain. You would think that they would be so confident, secure, and full of hope concerning their future. You would think that their minds and hearts would be set on the "land that flows with milk and honey." But it wasn't. Their hearts were longing for Egypt. Their minds were looking backwards, not forwards. They were choosing what they knew over what could be, and they were longing for the familiar over the feasible.
And so many times we do the same. Holding on to old things when God is desiring to do a new thing. Clinging to the comfort of yesterday instead of embracing the possibilities of tomorrow. Gripping tightly to the familiar instead of trusting God to lead us into the unknown. Do not allow your heart to be captured by Egypt. Do not let your mind be consumed with what has been. God is on the move, and He is doing a NEW thing! Trust Him. Put your hope in Him. And move with Him!