Moving Forward

We are a mobile people. It seems like we are always on the go. We put thousands of miles on multiple vehicles every year, and on our way home from vacation, we are already planning the next one. We are constantly looking for the next step forward whether it is in a building project, a personal diet, or a job promotion. This desire to move forward isn’t new. We can easily recognize it in the lives of Moses and the children of Israel. The Israelites were in bondage in Egypt and cried out to God to be delivered, so God sent Moses and displayed His power, and the people were on the move.

It doesn’t take long before the Israelites are at the Red Sea, and Egypt shows up in hot pursuit, and what do the Israelites do? They start saying, “We should have never left Egypt.” What they are really saying is “We thought we wanted to move forward. We thought we desired progress. But since things are getting harder, maybe we really don’t.” Movement is not always easy; sometimes progress looks more like one step forward and two steps back. John Maxwell declares that motion causes friction, and this was certainly true for the Israelites who wanted out of bondage but met quite a bit of adversity along the path. And yet, they marched on, finally enjoying the good plan God had in mind for them all along.

It may be that some reading this newsletter can identify with the plight of the Israelites. Maybe God has you on the move, and the journey is less that thrilling at the moment. It’s in these times that Jeremiah 29:11 becomes more than a verse to offer to high school graduates: “For I know the plans I have for you, declare the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” When we are on the move and difficulties come, we must remember that God has a good plan. Every day, He is moving us closer to our Promise Land, and the challenges we face along the way will only make us appreciate and enjoy it all the more. Keep moving forward!

In Him

Bentley Hill