The Israelites said, "Why didn't God let us die in comfort on Egypt where we had lamb stew and all the break we could eat? You've brought us out into this wilderness to starve us to death, the whole company of Israel!" Exodus 16:3 (The Message)
While reading this passage last night, I felt like I am most like the Israelites at times. I question God about where he has placed me and the "wilderness" I think I am in, when really he has placed me in that wilderness to strengthen me and mold me more into His image. Many times I think that if God could have just left me in the comfort of childhood when everything was taken care for me, or given me enough money to pay all the bills on time and buy the car, house, and other material needs then I would be happy. All the Israelites were asking for here was lamb stew and endless bread. They wanted to trade the plan that God designed for their life, to take them through the wilderness to make it to the Promised Land - a land flowing with milk and honey, for a minor worldly pleasure... food. I can see evidences of this in my life as well. I think that if I have certain material possessions or the best food, then I will be happy and ultimately successful. These things will only give me finite pleasure and will not satisfy me forever, but only for the short-term. Christ has designed a plan for each of our lives that leads us through the wilderness (oppression, sadness, sickness, etc.) and takes us to the Promised Land for eternity with Him.
God will test us along the way to make sure we trust Him through the wilderness. In Exodus 16:4 (The Message), God says, "I'm going to test them to see if they'll live according to my Teaching or not." This is evidence that he is with us, always. He will test us through the hard times (which the hard times might be part of the test), to again strengthen us and make us more like Him. Our response might be like the Israelites, and moan and groan about these worldly things we desire, but we must trust that He will provide everything that we need to get through the day and onward to our Promised Land.
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