The Bible says God says this to the Israelites at Mount Horeb, "You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Break camp and advane into the hill counry of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the mounts, in the western foothills, in the Negev and along the coast, to the land of the Canannites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the Euphrates. See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land that the Lord swore he would give to you fathers -- to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob -- and to their descendants after them.
Now, that' a lot of stuff to consider, but I want to make a couple points today that might be helpful other than you looking up Horeb or Amorites or Arabah or even the Negev.
When I was eight years old, which considering how much I write about it must either have been a very eclectic year or eight is a catchall for my stories, we moved from a little two bedroom house to the country, and the house that I still claim as "my" house though I sold it three years ago. We moved from Ricky and Tommy Hardy, my buds, my pals, the old leather motorcycle coach gang. We moved from comfort and where I could play without worrying about safety and such to a whole new world of possibilities and even some terrors. There were actual things to be explored in our new world, including new friendships to be made when I didn't do that very well. I guess I still don't. I struggle till I get to know someone.
Anyway, we made it through that period, against my wishes since I didn't see any need whatsoever to move, and life went on.
The point of the passage, at least the couple points I want you to see if you can stand that much scripture so early in the morn, is twofold: 1) God got tired of the Israelites being so comfortable. They wouldn't have moved on their own, it appears. they were content to stay exactly where they were doing exactly what they were doing for exactly as long as it took.
Is that not our tale? I came to the Times-Picayune 18 years plus ago, and I leave it next Tuesday. I've had little impact and I'll just be replaced by the next person, but still I have terrible pangs of, what, buyer's remourse? I've not had a ton of offers to leave over the years, in fact none since I found Christ lo those many years ago and began demoting myself out of a career, willingly. So for 14 years or so I've not been a hot property in the world of journalism. That proved to be fine with me for my life grew stangnant right where it was. I loved not doing, well, anything particularly new, for without newness there can be no fear.
Then Katrina crawled up and bit me on the leg, and we were flung away from friends again, this time to the north shore. I dreaded it, hated it, despised it, and grew to love it. I got two new churches and settled in again. I love my house, though others might not. I love my buddies, my dogs, though others might not. I've settled in and feel the roots of unchange binding me again, wonderfully.
But like all good Mount Horebs, there is a second point. The second point is not only does God tell us to move when its time to move, but he gives us direction.
I'm moving, on. I'm moving, slowly. I'm moving, somewhere. Like Abram, but not like Moses, I have no earthly idea where I'm headed. Maybe a few miles down the road to a new church, maybe I'll get money to make more of a way in the churches I have now. The point is I don't know.
When we're going through change, it is much more comforting to know where you're headed, but scripture is pretty clear that is not always the case. What is always the case is when you're headed into the unknown, it's awfully good to have Jesus in the back of the boat, God in the front of the pack of humanity, the Holy Spirit resting comfortably inside you as you pack.
"You have stayed long enough at the mountain," might be God's way of saying, I have had something for you all along, but you preferred to be comfortable. Might be God's calling you to step out and really, really do what He's asking.
Ponder that today, in your land of comfort.
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