The LORD our God said to us at Horeb, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain" (Deuteronomy 1:6, NIV).
Moses had led the people out of Egypt. Along the way, they were scared, ready to turn around and go back into slavery. God had parted the Red Sea, led the people through to dry ground, drowned the Egyptians, and landed them safely at Horeb, the mountain of God. They didn’t want to leave. It seemed comfortable. God had a bigger plan for them than this place, however, so He told them they had been there too long.
Sometimes God has to move us to mold us into whom we need to be or to get us to do what we need to do. That could be a move physically, emotionally, vocationally or spiritually.
Where are you at today? Have you been there too long?
- Have you been in your state of worry too long?
- Have you hovered in fear too long?
- Have you rested in the safety of your comfort zone for too long?
Would God say to you today: “You have been there too long!”?
Sometimes God even requires us to get off a mountain (our place of comfort) and move back into the valley, where we have no choice but to trust Him again. Whether it’s a time of rest or a time of unrest in our life, we can become habitual, even comfortable, in our current situation to where we resist moving to better places God may have for us.
When Jesus took Peter, James and John to the mountain of transfiguration (Matthew 17), Peter was ready to build three tents: one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. I don’t know where he planned to sleep, but he was ready to camp out for a while. Jesus took Peter back into the valley and into more ministry opportunities. At the time, Peter could only see what he could see.
- Is God ready to take you some place outside of your realm of comfort?
- Is He looking for you to move into a deeper commitment to Him?
- Is He preparing you for a better place, perhaps an even greater work?
- Have you been in the state you are in, the place you are in for far too long?
