Day eleven: Don’t stay stuck in old sin patterns. Let the Holy Spirit direct your path.

When the Israelites walked out of Egypt on their way to the Promised Land, they did not leave Egypt behind. They carried it with them—embedded in their mindset and appetites.

So when they encountered deprivation in the desert, they yearned for the familiar. Their craving for Egypt's comfort foods was so strong that they were willing to go back to slavery for them. They lost sight of all that God had done, all that He had promised, even though just one chapter before they had been singing His praises for parting the Red Sea. 

Their freedom trek would teach them to rely on God and develop an appetite for the spiritual nourishment that would sustain them.

We also carry baggage from the world and tend to resort to coping strategies that provide instant gratification but keep us stuck. Out of our comfort zone, we often look back fondly at our old life, conveniently forgetting the dissatisfaction we used to feel.

Walking with Jesus empowers us to shed our old ways and experience genuine peace and freedom.

Scripture Reference: Exodus 16:3
“If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.”

Scripture Reference: Psalm 78:17-22
17 Yet they kept on sinning against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert.
18 They stubbornly tested God in their hearts, demanding the foods they craved.
19 They even spoke against God himself, saying, “God can’t give us food in the wilderness.
20 Yes, he can strike a rock so water gushes out, but he can’t give his people bread and meat.”
21 When the Lord heard them, he was furious. The fire of his wrath burned against Jacob. Yes, his anger rose against Israel,
22 for they did not believe God or trust him to care for them. 


Scripture Reference: Romans 8:5-6
5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.


Prayer Prompt: Seek the Holy Spirit's guidance to direct your thoughts and assist you in letting go of old patterns of thinking and behavior that may be impeding your progress.