Why, how, and when the person of faith must decide to move on

By Dean Collins

I’m big on moving on. Some who work with me accuse me of always thinking of the next new thing we can do. To be clear, I don’t want to leave everything behind when I move on, but there are some times you need to let go of something in order to tackle the next needed challenge. The more encumbered you are with the past, the greater your difficulty with moving on. If you are carrying a bag of rocks, you have a much tougher time in your travels than if you pack lightly.

No water

The people of Israel were on the move. They had been given manna and quail by no effort of their own except to pick up what God had already provided. So Exodus 17:1 says the people, with full bellies, moved on from the wilderness of sin by stages according to the commandment of the Lord. And then they camped. Even when moving on is the best strategy, sometimes you need to stop and rest, stop and wait, stop and quench your thirst from your travels.

But quickly the people realized they should have used their mileage points and upgraded their lodging, because there was no water at the campsite. This had happened before (see Exodus 15:22-27). That time they actually thought they had water but soon discovered it wasn’t drinkable. They grumbled a bit, maybe a lot, and God resolved the situation, turning bitter water to sweet refreshment. But this time the grumbling escalated to quarreling.

Have you noticed how our human tendencies are seen in this story? When we hit a bump in our journey and things are difficult or someone has failed us, we often grumble. But if it happens again, then we usually start quarrels with each other. Someone is responsible, and we will hold them accountable! Moses became the target of this fight. But Moses deflected and posed the question back to the people: “Why do you test God?”

Real problem

The people did have a real problem. It wasn’t imagined. They were in legitimate need of water. Manna and quail take care of nourishment, but if you have no water you will die. When Moses brought God into the dialogue, the people took a step back from fighting and returned to grumbling. You might succeed in a fight with man and win, but your odds are against you if you fight with the Almighty.

Back in the hot seat with the people complaining for leading them into this dry spot, Moses cried out to God and asked the question every leader has asked God at some point: “What shall I do with these people?”

Whether you are a parent, a coach, a small group facilitator, or an executive, eventually you will ask this question. You will feel the situation is over your head and bigger than you agreed to when you said yes. It’s important to note that while the crisis is real, it never surprises or bothers God. It’s as if he is waiting for us to arrive at this crossroads so he can reveal what we could not see and remind us of what he has already given us.

Unexpected solution

This time God told Moses to take the staff that was already in his hand and walk right out in front of the grumbling audience, bringing his leaders with him. Never try to face conflict and challenges without your wingmen. Being flanked by a good and Godly support group is essential in moments of desperation, challenge, and scarcity.

Moses was directed to go and stand on the Rock of Horeb where God was waiting. There he was told to strike the rock. If it were you or me in the same situation, we would probably be looking for the palm trees and oasis or the hidden well somewhere. If you’re thirsty you don’t pay much attention to a dry rock! But God filled the void. What is usually invisible to us is abundantly clear to God. He told Moses that when he struck the rock, water would flow from it and the people would drink.

Big question

Moses did what God directed, and for at least a moment the people stopped complaining and fighting and got a drink. It’s hard to complain with your mouth full of life- giving water. Moses named this place Massah and Meribah, testing and quarreling. And he did so because of the question the people asked him. We’ve had the same question, and sometimes we’ve dared to ask it out loud: “Is the Lord among us or not”?

Here is one way to consider this question. Do you believe God only when you have what you want and what you consider enough? Or do you believe God because of his promises? I can’t answer for you, but I will confess my shallow moments. I am guilty of wanting to live by sight and not by faith. Don’t misunderstand. I can dream big dreams. I’ve many times chased a vision I believe God gave me. But I’ve also begged to see God’s provision ahead of time in order to act rather than trust God and boldly move forward. When God prompts, then we must rely on his promises more than our plans

I am guilty of wanting to live by sight and not by faith.

I don’t think God wants us to ignore thinking and planning and making estimates and building budgets. But I am confident that if all our strategy can reliably guarantee every outcome and reasonably assure the source for every dollar, then our faith may be in ourselves and not in our God. Self-reliance and complete certainty about what’s ahead don’t require faith.

Many stages

Exodus 17:1 says the people of Israel moved on by stages. When we choose to trust God and his promises, we will move on by stages as well. There will be many unknown and unplanned and unpredictable stops on our journey. Some will even be pauses in the desert where we can’t see even the water we need. But if we lean into the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, and the prophets and the apostles, we eventually will come face-to-face with Jesus. Then when we meet him, we must decide whether to trust him and his resurrection promises or continue operating based on our finite and visible plans.

Yes, I want to move on to the next thing. But I will have to leave behind my stubbornness and reliance on my creativity and vision and be willing to complete the journey one stage at a time. I need to expect some stages that will be filled with abundance and others that will feel and appear barren. And when the dark moments come, I will ask myself the question that you must ask yourself: “Is the Lord among us or not?” Your answer will require faith in God and in his promises. And there you will find rest and restoration from a big glass of living water.

Your time with God’s Word
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭17:1-7‬; Hebrews‬ ‭11:1, 6, 8, 29‬; Luke‬ ‭14:28-33‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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Photos by Vek Labs and Gretchen Seelenbinder on Unsplash