Why Can’t We Just Go Home?

February 27

Why Can’t We Just Go Home?

The defeated and discouraged voice of the young child in the back seat finally gives up on the family trip with words all too familiar; “Why can’t we just go home!”

There has been 225 miles of complaints, 225 miles of grumbling, 225 miles of griping.  When none of those approaches worked, the young child engaged in some pretty pointed criticism of you.  Just before you say, “We should have never come on this trip!” the little person finally gives up and just wants to quit.

During their journey from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land, the Israelite people followed the same pattern.  They are a people whose complaining and criticizing was constant!  They are a people who feel defeated and discouraged.  They are a people who feel disappointed and disillusioned.      

In Numbers 14:3 we hear the Israelites cry out; “Why is the Lord bringing us into this land to fall by the sword?  Our wives and our little ones will become plunder; would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?”  They just want to quit and go back home.  They are willing to give up on their dream and upon God’s promise of a new land flowing with milk and honey.

They cannot endure another day or another mile; they are ready to give up, they are ready to quit.  In Numbers 14:4 we hear; “So they said to one another, ‘Let us choose a captain and go back to Egypt.’”  They want to go back home even though Egypt was a place of oppression, violence, and slavery.

I have noticed that when people fall into the trap of always complaining about their circumstances, their relationships, or the unresponsiveness of the Lord God, they eventually reach the point where they want to give up, give in, and quit.

+I know many people who always complain about politicians and often stop voting.  They give up!

+I know many people who always criticize their spouse and often end up having an affair.  They step out!

+I know many people who always grumble about their boss (or the “company”) and end up leaving their job.  They quit!

+I know many people who always gripe about someone in the family and finally push that person away.  They walk away!

If the little child in the back seat complains long enough they will often give up on the great vacation.  The Israelite people complained and criticized long enough they wanted to quit on the journey to the Promised Land and give up on the Lord God. 

We can do the same thing; complain and criticize, grumble and gripe, point out faults and obsess over disappointments.  When we do the same thing, we finally end up wanting to quit, to give up, to surrender. 

The promises of God for you can go unfulfilled not because the Lord is not trustworthy but because your focus is on finding fault, giving up, and surrendering to the negative. 

The young child needs a parent to encourage them when they are ready to quit.  The Israelites needed Moses to encourage them when they were ready to turn back.  You and I need a friend who loves Jesus enough to encourage us when we are ready to give up on God’s dream for our life.

The challenge is that most of the Israelites were committed to the nation’s pessimistic view of the future.  The challenge for you and me is similar; our culture has become committed to complaining about and criticizing other people. 

There are too few voices speaking up for persevering, for enduring, and for prevailing.  There are too few voices speaking up for overcoming, for conquering, and for victory.  There are too few voices speaking up for the positive, the good, and the optimistic.  There are too few voices speaking up for peace, joy, and love through faith in Jesus.

When there is small faith, there is little hope.  When there is little hope, the darkness begins to overwhelm us.  We complain, we criticize, we grumble, and we gripe.  And then, we quit!  Listen to a description of the Israelite people from the book of Numbers.

 In Numbers 14:8-10 we hear; “‘If the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey.  Only, do not rebel against the Lord, and do not fear the people of the land, for they are no more than bread for us; their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.’  But the whole congregation threatened to stone them.”

Rarely can we just go back home to the ways things used to be.  Instead, we can choose to trust Jesus is with us and for us.  We can choose to trust Jesus loves us and will lead us by the hand.  We can choose to continue moving in the direction of God’s promise, God’s dream, God’s desire. 

I invite you to reflect on this question each day for the next week.  “What would need to change in you so you can fully embrace God’s promise, God’s dream, and God’s desire for you?”

When we choose God’s promise for us, our mouths will be filled with less complaint and more praise.  Our hearts will begin to overflow with delight even when things around us seem a bit dark.

Take Delight In The Lord!

Doug