Time to Go

I just finished reading about the plagues in Exodus. God promised Moses that eventually Pharaoh would force them to leave. After the plagues they certainly did become a stench in the nose of the Egyptian leadership.

However, I think we also tend to ignore the other side of this. As we see in the desert, the Israelites looked back at Egypt with some sense of fondness. I can't help but wonder if the plagues also helped to motivate them to leave? After all, few of us really like to make that big of a change unless we absolutely have to. They had food and water. Yes, life was tough, but it was easier than some of what they faced in the wilderness.

Sometimes I wonder if God uses circumstances to show us that it is time to move. However, I also think we need to be careful with that. I think James 1 shows us that trials are for our sanctification (as does 1 Peter 1). Therefore, we shouldn't be too quick to move at the first hint of discomfort.