Is Egypt Far Enough

Through the years of serving God through local churches there have not been many things that have been constant. One constant however is that no matter how much people claim a want for change, there is reluctance to do what it takes. Usually the reluctance shows up in the form of going back to what has been. In church parlance it would be said people want to go back to Egypt. Not to put too fine a point on it, people would rather go back to captivity, than to move forward into something new and unknown.

Why is it that when we want to go back we only go to Egypt? Why not go back further? Why not go back to Abram, not Abraham but Abram. They are the same many but at very different stages of their journey with God. Abram had a nice life for himself. He was married, had a household, cattle, sheep, goats the like. God called him to move to a place he had never been. God did not even show him where we was to go. Simply God said go and I will show you when you are there. When Abram said yes it set in to motion a history of events that lead to his being renamed Abraham, to Issac, to Jacob, to Egypt, to the Exodus, eventually to Jesus, and to you and I.

I am okay with going back, as long as we go back far enough. In the church today we talk about going back. Back to the days when the church was in its supposed glory. Rarely do people want to go back far enough. Let's not look to the 1940's and 50's, let's go back farther. How about the 1740's, or the 1540's. possibly the 540's or even the 40's. Back to a day when there was more concern for following the voice of God than preserving what has been and is known.

All together looking back is fine, but it is time for the people of God to stop living in the past. The time has come to move forward once again. Like the days of Abram, I believe God is calling men and women, individuals and churches to go into a new land. I cannot tell you the name of the land, I cannot pain you a picture of it, but when we get there God will let us know.