Make Up Your Mind

Exodus 13: 17,18  “When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” So God led the people around by the desert road towards the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt armed for battle.”

Israelites were ‘called out’ with a promise of a land flowing with milk and honey. We know that if God has promised something He is faithful and He fulfills it. But expecting the entry to directly lead into the destiny is immaturity. We have to leave room for Him and His supreme will. The journey, no matter how tough it can get, travelling on it can be easy. All that it requires is that you make up your mind…

They were, for sure, delivered from the bondage of Pharaoh by God Himself. But they were led towards a desert. A journey that led from slavery to desert. Though delivered from the enemy’s bondage they were bound in His’ leading. The scene, of you being in a desert, doesn’t mean you’re out of His’ will. Seemingly, the situations were equally worse with one difference. God ‘delivered’ them from slavery and ‘led’ them to a desert. That makes the whole difference! What we need to know is, if God has ‘led’ you to a desert, He knows to provide, protect and faithfully lead to the Promised Land. You have to make up your mind, ‘If God leads me through the desert no matter what comes against, I am not going to return!’

Notice that the usual route to the Promised Land was ‘by road’, but God leads them through a desert. Sometimes He doesn’t take you through familiar routes. All because He wants you to walk trusting on Him and not on yourself. Bible says, we walk by faith and not by sight. When a problem comes, walk by sight pushes you back to where you came from but walk by faith pushes you to destiny! All that they had to do was to trust Him with the same faith they had when they set out of the country. Many of us have a faith to move out of no matter where we are, but no faith to face tough situations. Each time we face a problem we murmur and complain, just as the Israelites! Do you know why? We haven’t made up our minds…to walk by faith!

The ‘by road’ route was definitely more convenient than the desert one. Sometimes God’s ways appear very inconvenient compared to our ways. Wonder why? If you never faced a Red Sea, how would you know He is mighty to split it? If you were never hungry, how would you taste heavenly manna? If you never tasted bitter Mara, how would you know He can turn bitterness into sweetness? If you never travelled through a desert, how would you see Him going ahead of you in a pillar of cloud to guide you and as a pillar of fire just to lighten your way?! Being a Christian doesn’t mean you have no more problems, but it means He is going to be with you and lead you through them. History proves, not once did God fail to be there for them. Train your spirit to say, ‘He is good’; ‘He is able’ each time you face a problem. Make up your mind to believe that He is above no matter how big the situation is!

Bible says the ‘by road’ route was shorter but think of the desert route- which has no map, God alone knows how long! The Promised Land, for sure, is ours. But to attain it God needs armed warriors and not pampered babies! Don’t worry He doesn’t call the equipped, instead equips the called. He equips His chosen with endurance…with perseverance! A preacher once said, endurance is outlasting the devil. Warriors fight till they win, taking no breaks. God desires that we make up our minds to fight for no matter how long.

Israelites failed in making up their minds. Neither could they outlast the test nor could they rely on Him. They were tried many times and given many opportunities to prove otherwise. In spite of all their failures, the Lord decides to lead them into the Promised Land. In Numbers 13:1, He asks Moses to send 12 spies to the land. As they awaited the report, ten of them returned saying (vs.27-29, 31), ‘the land is definitely good, but the city is fortified, the people are large, they have giants and we appeared to be grasshoppers in their sight. We can’t attack those people!’ They had made up their minds to be weak, to fail and not to fight. Worst was their trust in God!

But the other two, Caleb and Joshua said (14:7-9), “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” You got it right! They had made up their minds! They had made up their minds to trust Him no matter what comes against and that they’ll fight for no matter how long it takes! Bible says the whole Israel turned against them (vs.10). Neither did they make up their minds nor could they be convinced to do so. They rebelled. The result was the perishing of the whole generation in the desert (vs. 26-35). The Lord spared only the two…the two who had made up their minds. Not only were they blessed to enter the Promised Land but also they led the new generation to the blessing. What an honour, to be among the only two grey haired heads among the millions. Yes, they fought for long…all because they had made up their minds!