YAHWEH'S MOUTHPIECE

A happy new year to you. Welcome to 2021. 2020 was filled with unexpected events and many are expecting relief from the stress they went through if at all they expect nothing more.

I must seriously and sincerely apologise for my inconsistencies as regards posts on this blog. I hope to perform way better this year and beyond as God gives grace.

In our gleaning from Israel’s journey, we’ve come to the point of their deliverance by God’s mighty and outstretched arm. We’ll be looking at something that relates to this moment we are in – the new year.

We are told that Israel was hurried out of Egypt and hadn’t prepared victuals for themselves and so they had to make unleavened cakes on the way (Exodus 12:39). Beyond the lack of food, it showed they weren’t prepared for the journey. This is reflected in other areas even in their disposition towards God and towards the challenges they faced on the journey. It reveals that they weren’t anticipating their release from Egypt despite the promises and instructions given to them regarding the Passover by the hand of Moses.

Prior to their leaving when God gave Moses the instruction of Passover, He told Moses that “this month shall be the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you” (Exodus 12:2). Well, it’s the beginning of months according to the calendar we use and so this subject of preparation applies well to this time. For Israel, God promised them an end – Canaan. They knew where they will end nonetheless, they weren’t prepared for the journey. Every year is a journey to an end promised by God to His children. Beyond knowing the end, we must prepare for the journey. Jesus asked a question in Luke 14:28, “For which of you intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?”

This doesn’t apply only to the beginning of a new year but also to the beginning of new phases and stages in our lives as it pertains to God’s plan for us.

One of the reasons that many do not prepare is probably lack of faith. For Israel, it was like a mirage for Pharaoh to let them go considering their encounter with him at first. For many, the vision looks too good to be true plus the experiences in 2020 where the dreams and hopes of many dashed and so there is no point preparing for that which we are not sure will happen which we even say is not likely to happen.

2020 may have been a wonderful year for you. You probably didn’t have your goals fulfilled just the way you expected, it is not enough reason to disbelieve what God says concerning this year. If He has said it, then it will be. We only need to journey with Him as He leads. We must walk by faith not minding the distractions by the circumstances and troubles around that we might get to that end He has promised.

The implication of Israel’s lack of preparation for the journey was manifest when they faced challenges on the way. At every slight challenge, they murmured and complained against God questioning the reason He brought them out of Egypt. This led to the prolongation of their journey and the mass of those who left Egypt not getting to Canaan.

Your journeying will be longer than it should when you do not make adequate preparations before the journey as you will experience breakdowns on the way. This is why at the end of twelve months, it appears like the vision is not near realization.

May we receive grace to make adequate preparations for our journey and may this year be as God has said concerning us in Jesus’ name. Amen.