‘The Lord, our God, said to us at Horeb, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the mountains, in the western foothills, in the Negev, and along the coast, to the land of the Canaanites and Lebanon, as far as the great river, the Euphrates. See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land the Lord swore he would give to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—and their descendants after them.†‘ Deuteronomy 1:6-8 NIV
Mount Horeb, popularly known as Mount Sinai, was where Moses received the ten (10) commandments. God established His covenant with His people at this place. Like he did at the burning bush, Moses encountered God on this mountain in a remarkable way. But when the Israelites were getting comfortable, God says to them, ‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain.’
He gives them an instruction to go to the place He had prepared for them. Here God reminds them of the promise He made and how they would not fulfill it in their place of comfort. God himself acknowledges that the time had come for His people to move forward to attain the promise. And in moving from Horeb to Canaan, God did not promise a smooth transition. However, He expected the Israelites to trust Him. Likewise, God has seasons for our lives. Although some seasons take longer than we anticipate, and some changes come with some pain and loss, God wants us to keep moving forward.
Our study scripture shows us that places of stagnation do not always seem dry and dead. Sometimes, these are places or things we hold on to for too long without any progress toward our purpose. It can be a seemingly good relationship, a good job, or even a level of spiritual growth. We often dwell on past experiences or encounters that we have had with God that we miss the seasons God wants to move us into. We come out of Egypt, only to get stuck at Horeb because of our comfort. However, that is not what God wants for us.
You may not have any knowledge of the things God has ordained and spoken over your life, but I can assure you those things are great. For you to attain the promise, you need to activate the instruction, and that right there is the definition of faith. What instruction has God given you in this season? Where does God want you to go? What place of comfort does God want you to get out of?
Today God is encouraging you to take courage and steps towards the place He has prepared for you in advance. God doesn’t want you in a cycle of stagnation. He doesn’t want you living in mediocrity or the mundane. God is telling you to let go of an experience, relationship, ideal to embrace what He has for your life fully.
Prayer to get you out of stagnation
Heavenly Father, I thank you for the promise you have spoken over my life. Thank you, Lord, that my steps are ordered of you. Right now, I cancel any procrastination and boldly step into what you have prepared for me. I break out of this place of stagnation with courage and strength as you lead me toward my place of purpose. Thank you for the spirit of power, love, and a sound mind even as I make decisions to break out of the place of stagnation. I pray all this In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
