The Road Out of Bondage

(I just found this in a journal last night...I had written it in August of 2004.)

When God brought Israel out of Egypt, out of their bondage, they rejoiced...they celebrated...they saw victory.

But the road out, and God's leading to the promised land, wasn't as flowery and pleasant as they had hoped and expected. God promises us that we'll end up in a beautiful place, but the journey to it may be filled with difficulty, disappointment, apparent hopelessness, obstacles, etc.

When the Israelites started experiencing difficulties on their journey, they wanted to turn back and return to their bondage. To us, sometimes it feels like it was and would be so much easier to just go back and live in those self-protective ways that held us in bondage. Like when I was more quiet and shy and didn't speak what was on my mind, people didn't necessarily enjoy me very often, but they had no reason to oppose me. I lived without much conflict, which at times, entices me back. But something inside me, that longed to live out truth was buried and denied a voice. It was kept in bondage. As God has drawn me out of that bondage and given me a voice to speak what is real in my heart, it has also brought much disruption to my own life as well as others.

The temptation to go back to the safety of bondage continually lurks about. But reality is that God is leading me out of bondage, sometimes through dry deserts, dangerous wilderness, and at times face to face with enemies, and His unexpected, wild journey for my life will find a "land flowing with milk and honey." In other words, if we faithfully continue on the journey, we will eventually and ultimately enter into the place of his perfect provision, a place of fulfilling joy and delight, freedom and peace.