October 23, 2008 - Acts 7:39

“But our ancestors refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.” Acts 7:39.
Stephen guides his listening audience of Hebrew leaders back to remember the people’s response to Moses. God had spoken through Moses to the people, and they “refused to obey him.” The forty year journey in the wilderness is the result of their disobedience. Even more problematic, they “turned back to Egypt” in their hearts. They desired to submit themselves to the harsh enslavement of Pharaoh rather than submit to God, through Moses.
Can you imagine?!? Choosing enslavement over the potential of freedom. As absurd as it sounds, that is what they wanted, and that is just the type of thing that I do, on occasion, on a personal level. I choose the “comfort” of what I know, even though it is painful, dysfunctional, destructive, or disconnected from anything life-giving, over what may have potential. A personal example of this is the choice that I make in my diet. While I eat much healthier, thanks to my lovely wife, and make better life-giving choices, in my heart, it looks much more different; much darker. In my heart, I “naturally” go toward food that will kill me much quicker. It is absurd, irrational, and insane, but that is where I go. (Fortunately, I am changing my ways!)
On a spiritual level, we make choices regularly. Most of the time, we choose the known, more “comfortable” way….which leads back to spiritual “Egypt”, rather than the potential freedom that will be experienced fully in the Promise Land. We are, all of us, still in the Wilderness – this present world – and we experience glimpses of God’s coming Kingdom, yet it is still a potential and not fully realized. God gives us the opportunity to choose. As Joshua, Moses’ predecessor, says, “Choose you this day who you will serve…As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Questions to consider: Have you ever chosen enslavement over freedom? What did that look like? Today, what do you choose to do? What would it look like to choose freedom today?
Prayer: Father, I desire to choose life; to choose freedom; to choose You. Please give me the insight and wisdom to see the choices that I need to make and the courage to make the right one in my heart. Amen.