Break Camp
Deuteronomy 3:6-7
6 The Lord our God said to us at Horeb, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain. 7 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 to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the Euphrates.
Devotion
In today’s text, God is speaking to Moses and the Israelites camping on Mt Horeb on the journey to the Promised Land. It was not an easy journey as it took them forty years to reach the Promised Land. It was a journey full of challenges, problems, and temptations. At one time the criticized Moses for bringing them out of Egypt because there could not bear the overwhelming challenges associated with the wilderness. They had to fight wars along the way and most of the them died before reached the Promised Land. Such are the realities of life, things are not always easy and according to plan. we encounter challenges, problems and sometimes we become hopeless. In today’s text, there are camping at Mt Horeb and there is nothing with camping and resting as you journey a long journey. Resting and re-strategizing are necessary for a successful journey. This is why even in the highways you find resting places and amnesties because they know that traveling is hard and there is need for resting time for one to regain energy. But the problem with Israelites in today’s text is that they have overstayed at the resting place. they had over camped and it seems that they have forgotten about the journey and mission ahead of them. They had enjoyed the comfort of the camp site and forgot about the bigger picture ahead of them. Sometimes we forgot about God’s grand plan for us and take comfort in unfulfilled plans. We enjoyed the status quo and forget about the bigger picture. God is reminding the Israelites that they have overstayed and now it was time for them move on because the mission of occupying the Promised Land was yet to be accomplished. Break the Camp was his word for them. Are you one of those people who have stayed in the camp for a long time? Some of you have overstayed on a profession camp; some on the faith camp; some on the institutional camp; etc. These are the people have stopped growing in the life, marriage, faith, profession, business, etc. God is saying to you today, Break Camp-Move On, it is time to grow. Breaking the camp is not easy, it calls for sacrifice of certain comforts, learning new things, exploring new avenues in life , and overcoming certain difficulties in life. May almighty God give us strength to Break the Camp.
Prayer
Almighty Father,
you have given your only Son to die for our sins
and to rise again for our justification:
grant us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness
that we may always serve you
in pureness of living and truth;
through the merits of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen
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