Get Your Hopes UpSample

DAY 3: DON’T LOOK BACK

Being stuck in the “in-between” isn’t easy, but it happens more often than we like. We spend most of our lives in between the test and the results, the applications and the acceptance letters, and waiting for relationships or opportunities to come.

The Israelites knew what it was like to exist between one place and another. In Exodus 16, after being freed from slavery by God, they found themselves in the middle of the desert with no way to grow food. Not exactly an ideal situation.

The Israelites were human, just like us. And just like we can, they grew restless, impatient, and worried about their location and lack of food. In their fear, they forgot they had Jehovah Jireh on their side (Jehovah Jireh literally means “the Lord will provide”).

Soon, the Israelites began to complain. They wished for the food and “comfort” they had back in Egypt — where they were slaves for about 400 years. But what they missed wasn’t the back-breaking work or inhumane treatment: They missed the certainty and security that came with it. There were no surprises in Egypt. Even though they were suffering, they didn’t have to worry about finding food to eat or beds to sleep in.

God listened to the Israelites and sent manna and quail every day to feed them. He put them in the in-between — in a period of uncertainty — because He wanted His people to trust Him one day at a time. If they had focused on what God was giving them, not what they used to have, they would’ve remembered He’s a provider and He can be trusted in every situation.

Sometimes, when we’re in the middle of waiting, we look back and wish we were still in the past. Even if it wasn’t a good situation — maybe a draining relationship or an unhealthy cycle — it was still comfortable and predictable. But God often calls us away from what we know in order to step into something better. The in-between can feel scary, but it’s usually the place where we experience the most growth and more of God.

Spend some time going over these questions today: What am I currently in between? Am I wishing for the past right now, and if so, what is it I’m really wishing for? How can I embrace all God has for me today and trust Him with my future?