The Thoughts of Egypt

Happy new week. I hope you are beginning to see signs of the fulfillment of God’s word for you for the year? If you haven’t, don’t worry, remember we have learnt how to be patient with God. Don’t be perturbed. God is coming through for you.

This week, I want to share with you on a habit that could make getting to where God has designed for you unattainable. The truth is that the process to breaking forth comes with lots of obvious challenges. In the midst of the challenges, you will be tempted to condition your mind to settle for the less. However, what am about sharing with you will help you not to get into that mess.

The Lord answered the prayer of the Israelites in the land of slavery by sending Moses to usher them into the Promised Land. The Israelites were allowed to leave Egypt after so much demonstration of God’s power through the hand of Moses and Aaron. On their way to the Promised Land, they began to experience what was contrary to their greatest expectations. They were met with the red sea at the initial stage. This was a big challenge which no human mind could comprehend how to overcome. At that point, they became downcast. Only to look behind and saw the Egyptian forces advancing towards them, this was a no safe-route situation.

How could God have promised that it was time of breakthrough, liberty and plenty as Canaan signifies, only to face what looked like a planned execution?

On the road to your promised land are such challenges as that of the Israelites; situations that defile every human solution. There was no way to cross the sea without a ship, which they had none, or conquer the onslaught of the Egyptian army coming behind without arms. This kind of period makes every strength in man die.

It went on and on for the Israelites. They had to face many of such situations because the Lord was interested in them. If God had no purpose to fulfill with a man, what matters around his life wouldn’t be of much emphasis. They were missing out on what God wanted out of them. In the midst of all of the challenges, one thing that was constant in them which God wanted out was the “thought of Egypt”.  Every challenge made them see Egypt as a better option they could have settled for instead of praising God for what He had done and trust Him for yet another.

The thought of Egypt dominated their heart so much so that they never spoke of the Canaan God promised. Canaan was never a topic of their imagination. They were out of Egypt but Egypt was inside of them. The thought of Egypt led them to making idols in similitude of what they saw in Egypt, crediting the idol as what brought them victory. The thought of their heart affected their belief system that despite the mouthwatering miracles of God dividing the sea and providing manna from heaven, they couldn’t believe in Him still.

“So the children of Israel also wept again and said: who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes” Num11:4-6

“Oh, that we were back in Egypt, they moaned, and that the Lord had killed us there! For there we had plenty to eat. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to kill us with starvation” Exo 16:3

The situation they faced was to build them up to putting their belief in God in the face of complete uncertainty, but, they felt they could have been better with what they had to leave.

What stage are you in the journey to what you know God promised you at the beginning of the year? Does it seem you have lost something you could have managed and each time you brood over it? It will break your spirit from receiving and walking in God’s promise. Looking back in despair kills the heart of gratitude which is a key component to receiving from above. If you are God’s own (saved) and lost anything, it’s not meant for you, He has it all fixed.

Friend, is it a job, relationship, experience, or anything that used to be precious to you? Forget what is behind, look on ahead. Those are the thoughts of Egypt. Ruminate on Canaan; the blessings; what God told you in His word; the wonderful prophecies of the year. Let that be the dominant factor of your thought life and it will rub off on your faith for delivery.

“Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy- meditate on these things” Phil 4:8

Be Innovated

Olufemi Ibitoye