Mind Set:

As you read about the Children of Israel coming out of Egypt you are struck by many things. First of all you see the mighty hand of God orchestrating the release. God performed ten miracles that demonstrated His great power and His willingness to get involved with His people. Seven out of the ten plagues the children of Israel were sparred showing there is a difference between the people of God and the people of the world. Then they were able to get all the gold and silver and goods from their neighbors by just asking for it. That may be the biggest miracle of them all.

As they are going out the Lord does not lead them in the shortest path because He is afraid that if they go that way they will have to go to war and they will turn back to Egypt in fear. This shows that they were not fully persuaded that the Lord, who just performed all those miracles, was able to deliver again. This is a very important concept that is demonstrated. Just because you have a miracle done by the grace of God or see one done by the grace of God doesn’t mean that you have a change of mind which will cause a change of behavior. The children of Israel were still slaves in their minds and believed that the Philistines, which were a lot less powerful than the Egyptians, would defeat them. They were not able to transfer a victory to the next battle.   

Most of us remember that Israelites experienced another great miracle when they went through the Red Sea and saw the Egyptians destroyed before their very eyes but were not able to have the confidence in God to take a lesser enemy in the promise land. What was their problem? The answer is the same as ours. They did not renew their mind and God was not able to change their mind. You might have to read that statement again. God was not able to change their mind. He wanted to have them go into the land He promised but they would not cooperate. He came on Mount Sinai to give them the word that would renew their mind. They rejected the word which stopped the power of God from changing them from a slave to a freeman. They were free physically but not mentally, so consequently they died a slave in their wilderness because of their mind set.

What can I learn from this? I need to meditate the word, read the word, and study the word. The word needs to be a life source for me. That is the only way I will be set free from the slavery of sin and have my mind transformed which will allow me to choose the freedom Christ has purchased for me. Get into the word and see what promise land the enemy is keeping from you.  Go in the power of His Word and drive out the enemy and receive your land that is flowing with milk and honey. You are free and no longer a slave, so enjoy your freedom.