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An Egypt State of Mind

Updated: Feb 12, 2020


SphinxPyramid

“But our ancestors refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.” ~Acts 7:39

Egypt. Majestic, historic, full of beauty, mystery and wonder! A place with such a rich and fascinating history. What must it have been like in its heyday of Pharaohs and Queens……. Wait, this sounds familiar; but why?…….. Oh, yes; because it is the same way we romanticize our past! We focus in on all the good stuff, neglecting what it was that caused us to cut our losses and get to steppin’ in the first place!

The scripture above is a very strong commentary on our human nature. In this scripture, a disciple named Stephen has been arrested and put on trial before the Sanhedrin [Pharisees & Sadducees collectively]. Stephen was arrested simply because he was teaching the truth of Jesus Christ, repentance and salvation and the religious leaders of the day didn’t like it; so they trumped up some false charges and paid people to lie against him in court. Yeah, this kind of stuff went on in the Bible too. When Stephen was questioned he began to give a verbal history of the Jewish people. Well, skip down to verse 39 when Stephen is speaking about Moses and how God used him to deliver God’s people. Stephen tells of how Moses led the people out of Egypt and through the wilderness and then in verse 39 Stephen says, “…Instead, they rejected him [Moses and by extension, God] and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. This is when they asked Aaron to build a golden idol for them to worship instead of the God who had just delivered them out of 400 years of slavery/bondage.

I know, I know, “Get to the point, Angelique!” But, don’t you see, that IS the point! They are us! We are them! How often have we done this?! God had delivered us from some habit or relationship or pattern of living or mental distress or WHATEVER; and it’s all good at first because we are no longer in that bondage! But, then when we don’t get to where we want to be in the time frame that WE had decided on; When we don’t automatically succeed in everything we intended to; When we have to put in hard work to get where we wanted to go; when everything that God promised us isn’t handed to us, our very first instinct is to romanticize the past and before you know it we want to go back. BACK?!?! Really?! because it didn’t REALLY almost kill you the first time. It wasn’t REALLY a living hell on earth, right? It wasn’t REALLY all that bad, you know? *insert side-eye here* Child please! The devil has no new tricks! Isn’t that what he did with Eve?! “God didn’t REALLY say that, did he?”

Look, let me level with you; I know things are rough right now. But, I promise you’re not the only one going thru it and I promise that you’re not going thru it alone. I’m going thru it to; but can I tell you what I’ve learned from pressing thru difficult seasons in the past? Going back is NOT going to magically fix the issue. Just because you’re familiar with the past doesn’t mean that you should go back there. I know being in unknown territory is immensely uncomfortable but this unknown territory is not your final destination, it’s just a checkpoint on the journey! Listen to me, I know you are desperate for some relief, but going back is not where you’ll find rest and relief. Do you understand that just like the children of Israel were in bondage, YOU and I were in bondage (whether we realized it or not) and God delivered us. And now all of a sudden because we don’t get our way and we don’t get what we want when we want it and how we want it, all bets are off. We would choose to go back to bondage that will surely kill us emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually, rather than toughing it out KNOWING that God is with us and is guiding us?! But, of course, these are not the only two options, are they?

You see, we get creative with our responses to God, right? No, of course, we’re not gonna choose to go back to Egypt. Of course, we will stay in the place where God has brought us. Of course, we will continue to follow God as He leads us……… but we don’t have to be happy about it; right? We can still fantasize about what it was like to be back in Egypt nice and comfortable in our sin or ignorance or apathy. *needle scratches the record* Wait, what?! Did you catch that? So, I’m out of bondage…………. but I’m still in bondage?! Because, let’s be honest, choosing to follow God’s will grudgingly is bondage because you gripe and complain the whole way and it affects every aspect of your life because you have made a CHOICE to be miserable! God has opened the prison doors and set us, the captives free, but we choose to sit on our cot in our 6×8 cell with the door wide open wishing we could run free. If that’s not bondage, I don’t know what it! Because, make no mistake, there is no prison so cruel, dark and hopeless as the prison in our own minds.

Listen, I know it’s easier said than done but because we serve the God that with whom all things are possible I’m telling you we can do this. Here’s the challenge: why don’t you and I choose to shake off this funky attitude that says we can’t be happy just because we haven’t “arrived” yet. I know the journey in between is a treacherous one; but we have a choice and I, for one, am tired of choosing to grudgingly follow God as if He owes me something. He does not! One Bethel Worship Leader, Kalley Heiligenthal, said it this way, “God doesn’t owe us anything but He wants to give us everything…” So, let’s make the choice that just for today we are going to rejoice and give thanks even in our present transitions, seasons and situations. And then tomorrow when God breathes life into us once again, we will choose, again, to just rejoice and give thanks for that day; and everyday that He wakes us up we will choose to rejoice and give thanks for that day alone. We won’t focus in on what we don’t have or what we don’t want or what we think we deserve; we will JUST focus in on God. We will give thanks for His grace that gave us another day and His mercy that carries us through the day and His love that blesses us even in our darkest days. Let’s just choose to focus on God! Because, if there is anything I have learned and am learning, it is that Egypt is a state of mind and I refuse to let fear keep me from celebrating this journey of FREEDOM that GOD IS LEADING me on. So, if it’s all in my mind then I choose to think on whatsoever things are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, and praiseworthy; and I’m telling you, no matter if I know the fullness of His plan for me or not, what I do know is that my God is ALL of those things. So, I’m gonna start by just thinking on HIM! Will you pray this prayer with me:

Prayer of Surrender: My Father, you are faithful. Your love is never-failing and it never gives up on me, even when my heart has failed and I was tempted to give up on you. Father, forgive me for losing faith. Forgive me for losing sight of the fact that you have a plan for me and you are working your plan in me. Forgive me for losing sight of you. I know that everything is not always going to be easy but I also know that especially in difficult seasons you are teaching me the most valuable lessons. I know that everything that you allow in my life, good and bad, is working for my good and so I declare to you that I TRUST YOU. I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but I know that you’re already waiting for me there, so I don’t have to worry. Father, help me to reclaim the battlefield that is in my mind! Your word says to take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ; so, God, teach me to do that! Teach me to rebuke every negative thought that the enemy would try to plant in my mind and help me to focus only on YOU. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Scriptures to Get You Started:

Philippians 4:4-9; 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Galatians 6:9; Galatians 5:1; Jeremiah 29:11; 1 Peter 5:10; Galatians 5:22-25; Romans 8:28;1 Peter 5:6-9;  Isaiah 61:3-Choose to put on your garment of praise

Bless God & God Bless,

THE Writer’s Pen, Angel

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