Back to Egypt
The journey undertaken by the Israelite nation from Egypt to the Promised Land with Moses as their leader was constantly punctuated with cries that sounded like, "Let's all go back to Egypt!" Given that they had been slaves in Egypt for over 400 years, one could be excused for asking the question, "Why go back to Egypt? The only future awaiting them there was the same as the past they had left behind; that is, slavery".
A closer look at the history of their 40 year journey reveals that their appeals to go back to Egypt always coincided with an experience of hardship or some kind of reversal in circumstances. I guess the Christian journey is no different in our time. It's obvious from the Biblical account that seasons and times of trials and setbacks are part of the Christian experience. And often a God-ordained part at that! The Bible is clear that suffering is used by God to mature us in character and to cause us to lean upon God like we might not otherwise do.
Of course, those preachers and authors who would constantly insist that the Christian life is all about comfort, wealth, ease and personal happiness certainly don't help us hold to a Biblical perspective on such matters. Yes, the "land flowing with milk and honey" awaited their arrival. But that same land was populated by giants and a determined, powerful enemy who lived in cities that were large and well fortified.
From somewhere in my failing memory I recall the statement, "God wants His people tough". Tough times are required for such a goal to be achieved. So the question I face today (and every day for that matter) is simply, 'Do I want to be tough for the King and the Kingdom or do I want to call out when faced with opposition "I want out of here; take me back to Egypt".
