“When the king sent the people out of Egypt, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was the shortest way. God said, “If they have to fight, they might change their minds and go back to Egypt.”So God led them through the desert toward the Red Sea. The Israelites were dressed for fighting when they left the land of Egypt. Moses carried the bones of Joseph with him, because before Joseph died, he had made the Israelites promise to do this. He had said, “When God saves you, remember to carry my bones with you out of Egypt.” (Exodus 12:17-19 New Century Version)
Just a couple of quick lessons this Saturday morning, inspired by the text above. Lesson One: When the Lord loosens the bonds that had you enslaved to something, He will sometimes lead you by the long route to get to total deliverance. You will depart from a mindset, the influence of a bad crowd, or even be discharged free from the major effects of a health issue. In all these cases, there may be some issues to go through and these issues will increase your faith. And no matter how the journey goes, stick with God, because better is always ahead for His people.
Lesson Two: Wherever the Lord sends you, take some of your history with you. In the text above it was the bones of Joseph. In your time, it is the memory of the hands that God used to deliver you and bring you to a better place.
As an important, relevant side note, we just finished Black History Month in the USA, and I think that was my second source of inspiration, and a secondary reason for writing this message today. For after watching numerous documentaries that detailed the story of Blacks in America, I learned a lot I did not know; picked up a lot of “bones.” Therefore, whatever your nationality or ethnicity, regardless of the color of your skin, American History is inclusive of all Americans. This sounds editorial, possibly unrelated, and perhaps it is almost a post-script. But it is entirely inspirational and even though it is post-February, it is still timely: “Carry the Bones With You.”
Have a super Saturday, and don’t miss worship service tomorrow. Be blessed!
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King