Deuteronomy 1:6, NIV
The Lord our god said to us at Horeb, ‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Break camp and advance . . .’
There are times and seasons in life. Sometimes it is right to patiently wait on God and serve Him faithfully in one place. But even when that happens it is vital that we are constantly listening to His voice and not sinking into the deafness of complacency. If we are staying put somewhere it should only be because we know that’s the place God still wants us to be at.
A time without major change is not a time when we should stop listening to God for new directions it should still be a time when we are constantly knowing God’s encouragement to stay where we are. We need to keep the spiritual telephone line open so that when the moment is right to move on, we clearly hear God’s voice and are ready to obey.
From time to time I have met people who have stayed in one place in their spiritual life for much longer than God intended. Complacency, laziness and being at ease have become earplugs of the spirit. Their attentiveness to the voice of God has diminished and they have not heard or recognised God’s voice when it came.
Our scripture for today, in which God was giving instruction to all of Israel to break camp and get up and go, is an encouragement for us all to review our lives and make sure we are still in the right place. It may just be that the time has come to break camp and advance, and begin to conquer new territory for the Kingdom of God. Sometimes it is fear of the future that makes people switch off from God. But if He truly is the one who knows what is best for each one of our lives, what have we got to lose from trusting Him and, at least, asking for his affirmation that we are still in the right place. It just could be that there are some exciting times ahead for you!
Prayer: Lord, I only want to be in the place in my life that is in harmony with your plans and purposes. I choose to remove the earplugs from my spirit – please show me of any changes that I need to make. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
