Wandering...

Ah the promise land. A land that was told to be flowing with milk and honey. A land that the Israelites longed for and an inheritance the Lord desired to give. If you think about it, the whole promise land thing was an amazing thing. The israelites had everything going for them, why then did they wander so long?

I was thinking the other day (yes I do it quite often) when this story came to mind. I couldn't help but wonder and laugh at the children of Israel. They had alot going for them, On their pilgrimage to Canaan the Lord provided them with clothes and sandals that never wore out, a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, a wonderful supply of food each and every morning not to mention the countless other miracles He performed on their behalf. Yet they still ended up wandering in the desert for forty years, forty years! I thought to myself "What a group of ignorant people. If I had all those things I wouldn't even dream of grumbling and complaining."... and then it hit me, Hard.

As of late the Lord has been sending me through some trying situations and I have been guilty of the very same thing I condemned Israel for doing. Grumbling against the Lord, seems stupid doesn't it? But the Lord forgives and all is well. Then the other parallels started to out and things got a little more uncomfortable. I, like the children of Israel have a place I long to be in my life, it may be different for everyone but I think everyone has got one. I, like Israel have a God who has a place that he wants me to be, A place he has for me specifically. It may be a vocation, a marriage or anything and my desires might even coincide with it. I, like the children of Israel have so many thing provided for me. Just consider breath and food and not to mention the ever steady companion of his word! I, like Israel... the comparison could go on and on. And then I thought back and remembered the one thing that kept them from entering in when the Lord had planned. Grumbling and complaining. Can anyone say conviction?

Sometimes I wish the Lord would just teach me things that are easy. No such luck here. I find myself desiring so many things, things that I feel the Lord desires as well but I am never satisfied with the journey I must complete to get there. I find myself asking for meat, when he has given me all I need in manna. I ask for the leeks and onions of egypt, I ask for an instant teleportation to where I want to be. I ask for everything to be easy when a hard journey is what will make me appreciate the glory of where he is leading me. What I don't ask for is the Lords will to be done.

So is it possible for us to be on the road that the Lord has for us and make it take longer than it need? I think so... And I will try by the Lords grace to stop grumbling and complaining against His work in my life and the way he is working it out... I dunno just something to think about.