Been goin’ around the mountain? Maybe it’s time to take a new path
By Dean Collins
We all have our routines, and going through them brings us some comfort. Every morning I get my first cup of coffee, read my Bible, say a prayer, and begin to write something I hope encourages or helps someone. Doing this same thing day by day grounds me and helps me focus on my relationship with God.
I have a routine of exercise. I do something every day. Sometimes it is just a walk, and other times my exercise is more strenuous, involving weights or other exercises to increase stability and flexibility.
But sometimes I fall into routines not so good. While social media can be a useful tool for communicating with others, it can at times be a huge time drain. It can also lead you into an abyss of misinformation and negativity. I have been off social media for a little over a month now, and it has been good for me. I don’t really miss reading the angry arguments about politics, sexuality, religion, and many other issues. I care about many of these topics, but the spiral of negativity and divisive information around many of them I found to be unhelpful.
Move away from the mountain
As I read the second chapter of Deuteronomy, this verse jumped out: “You have been traveling around this mountain country long enough. Turn northward.” Deuteronomy picks up where Numbers leaves off, with Moses reminding the Israelites what they had been through the last 40 years. The many days of circling Mount Seir represented about 38 years. Because of the disobedience of the older generation, God kept Israel in the wilderness until the last of that generation had died.
Before we get upset with God’s plan, we should keep in mind that God’s beloved people had disobeyed him many times. They had been ungrateful and complained often. Some had stirred a rebellion, and many had participated. But even as this circling of the mountain continued, God gave food and water, and shoes that did not wear out. He still provided for the Israelites even when they would not obey.
But God had the attention of Israel and declared that it was time to move forward into the Promised Land. I wonder how much time I have wasted in different seasons of my life because I was unwilling to move forward in faith. Instead, I insisted on doing things my way and then wondered why God did not bless my efforts. I suspect you can think of a time or two when you were too stubborn or too afraid to follow what God was calling you to do.
Stop walking around in circles
What is true is that we are both still here, and God provided for us even when we were circling old places and old ways of doing things. I wonder if there is anyone reading today who needs to hear what I heard this morning: “It’s time to turn northward and stop walking around in circles.”
Maybe it’s time to take a different approach to some aspect of your relationship with God, family, or work. It might be that God is calling you to a new place of service or even to a relocation to a new place to live. What I do know is that if you find yourself stuck, God wants to show you how to move forward. When we place our situations, our family, and our work in his hands, he can do far more with them than we can do on our own. Partnership with the God of creation beats going it alone any and every day.
Lord, your Word has so many wonderful reminders of how you provided for your children in the past. Help us realize that you are not simply a God of history but a living God who loves us and calls us into your promises. Thank you for providing for us even in moments when we lacked faith or courage. Thank you for forgiving us of our sins. Today we choose to quit circling the same ole tired and stubborn ways. By faith, we will follow you to the places you are calling us so that we might receive all of the blessings you have in store for us.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Your time with God’s Word
Deuteronomy 2:1-7 ESV
Photo by Gavin Barnett on Unsplash
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