In the film Room, a young boy named Jack and his mother escape a small, windowless shed where they’ve been held captive for years. To anyone on the outside, this shed was a prison. To Jack, it was the only home he knew. It was familiar. Somehow, it felt safe.
After their rescue, Jack found the world beyond those four walls to be overwhelming. Loud. Confusing. And terrifying. At one point, he asks his mother if they can go back. Back to the room, he means. Back to the only life he had ever known, where he used to feel safe.
We’re not so very different.
In Numbers 14, the Israelites — just freed from slavery — cry out in despair: “Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? … Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?”
Freedom, they were beginning to discover, can be frightening. The wilderness is full of uncertainties. Their bondage, at least, had been familiar.
Maybe you’ve seen this happen.
God sets us free from addiction, fear, bitterness, and sin. And of course, we rejoice. But the healing that follows can take some time. Growth is uneven, and often painful. There are new habits to learn, and new priorities to establish. Sometimes, when this new life feels like too much of a stretch, we may be tempted to return to what once enslaved us … simply because it is a known quantity.
But remember: God didn’t deliver Israel from Egypt only to send them again into slavery. And Jesus didn’t save us just so we could retreat back into bondage. Paul said:
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1)
Freedom may feel unfamiliar at first because it brings so many challenges our way. But this is good. The God who brought you out of Egypt is the God who will lead you forward. Into freedom. And victory. All the way to the Land of Promise.
Today’s post is taken from Preaching Library, an online resource for pastors and teachers.
