Warnings after the Desert

The Lord says, “I am the Lord your God, who led you out of Egypt. You have no God but me. I alone am your savior. I took care of you in a dry, desert land. But when you entered the good land, you became full and satisfied, and then you grew proud and forgot me. Hosea 13:4-6

This chapter was a warning to the Israelites. It is easy to overlook this passage because it is a warning of destruction to Israel. As I asked the Lord how this applies to my life, even as I wrote out the Scriptures, I saw the warning for my own life. Then I read the rest of the chapter and know that we all run this risk of forgetting.

To me, Egypt represents the place of slavery and bondage. For centuries the Israelites were in Egypt. They were in bondage and slavery to the people of Egypt. God delivered them and His chosen leader Moses led them through the desert land and into the Promised land. This journey took forty years.

God sent Jesus to deliver me from the bondage of my sin. I do not have to walk enslaved to sin anymore. I will never be perfect this side of Heaven, but I make the choice daily to not be held in bondage to the sin Jesus died to free me from.

The dry desert to me, is the place between where God set me free from and the place of promise here is this world where I walk in the freedom of who God created me to be. I believe this desert is both a season and an area.

There are seasons in my life where I feel the dryness of the desert around me knowing that I am not walking in the fullness of what God has called me to. This may be because I am in a season of preparation and God is preparing me for the next season in my journey. It can also be because of my own disobedience and insecurities just at the Israelites experienced when they failed to recognized what Caleb and Joshua did, that if God brought them to it He would make the way despite the giants they faced.

There are other times where the desert is just an area of my life. Again it may be an area where I have not surrendered or where He is growing me, but it is generally a specific area of my life and not impacting everything in my life. It could be a career change or specific relationship, a part of ministry, health, any area of life. The dryness though is isolated to that specific area.

It is important regardless of the desert area or season that I keep my eyes on God. When I look to Him, I can trust that He will save me, lead me, direct me, and keep me on the path He has for me, even in the dry and desert places just as He did for the Israelites.

If the Israelites could forget all that the Lord did for them, I have to guard against this happening to me and my descendants. I remember that as I searched my genealogy, I found pastors and church planters on both sides of my family in generations before. I was surprised by this because I never knew of this history. I thought the Christian heritage started with my own parents, although I knew where was some Catholic heritage in my mother’s family. She had been baptized and had a Catholic name, but my aunt told me she was not taken through that same process. I learned my mother was saved and joined the Baptist church after I was born. On my father’s side of the family, although I remember singing some Christian songs at family get togethers I never remember talk of God or church attendance with my grandparents. Maybe they did attend church; I remember they had the Olan Mills church picture that were famous back in the day for the church directory. I know that I do not want to forget to teach my children, grandchildren and extended family about the Lord and all He has done. I don’t want the current generation or generations to come to forget what the Lord has done or fail to have a personal relationship with Him. I don’t want anyone in my linage to face the destruction or even the warnings that were spoken to the Israelites.

Prayer – Lord, thank You for all You have done for me, in my life, and in the life of my family. I acknowledge and declare You are the One and only God. You are Lord of my life. I thank You for the forgiveness of my sin the deliverance from its bondage. Thank You for Your guidance in the desert areas and seasons. Lord I heed the warnings after the desert You spoke to the Israelites. I want to walk in Your promises and the good things You have for me, forever acknowledging You all the days of my life an in every generation to come after proclaiming the same.