STOP, DON’T MOVE

Most of us desire to be in comfortable, stress-free situations and places. Also, we do not like pain or suffering; thus, we will not knowingly put ourselves in situations that will cause us to experience these things. It is needful for us to remember, though it may be challenging it is important that we are in the place where God would have us. Let me share some biblical events with you, where individuals suffered consequences because they choose comfort over God’s instructions.

In Genesis chapter 12, we read the story of Abram and God’s instruction to him to go to the land of Canaan and that he and his seed would inherit this land. A famine occurred, and Abram took his family to Egypt, where his wife Sarai was taken by Pharaoh. God intervened on Abram’s behalf before Pharaoh had a chance to have sexual relations with Sarai and Abram left Egypt and returned to Canaan.

Again in Genesis 46, there was famine in the land, and Jacob and his family left the land of Canaan and traveled to Egypt. Instead of returning to Canaan when the famine was over, they ended up staying there for 430 years. At first, they were comfortable and received preferential treatment, but then God allowed them to become the servants of the Egyptians who made their lives bitter with hard bondage, and they were ready to leave Egypt. After hearing their groaning God delivered them and brought them back into the promise land.

God had sent a word to David to stay in the land of Judah, but in 1 Samuel 27, David and his army of 600 men left and went to Ziklag because he was fearful of Saul. David became a liar, a murderer, and out of contact with God. God allowed his wives to be taken captive by the Amalekites and Ziklag to be burnt up for David to reconnect with Him and enquire of the Lord in 2 Samuel 2:1, ”Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? “ and the Lord’s response was, “Go up.”

In the above three situations, we read of men acting out of fear rather than their faith in God; however, there is the story of Isaac in Genesis 26 who did the right thing and was blessed for so doing. When confronted with famine Isaac had plans to go to Egypt but on his way God appeared to him and said, “Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father. “ Obedient Isaac followed God’s instructions and Genesis 26:12-13 recorded this, “Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him. And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great.”

If only we could learn to apply the words of the song, “Trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus than to trust and obey.” Though situations are not pleasant, and our obedience does not provide us with a stressless environment it is vital to our wellbeing to stop, and don’t move until we are directed by God to do so.