We often describe our relationship with God and our lives as a journey. The most famous journey in the Bible is the Israelites journey from Egypt to Canaan. It took forty years. Some Bible teachers say that the journey took forty years because of Israel’s disobedience, but I don't think so. I think it took forty years because God wanted it to take forty years to accomplish all of His purposes. He had something for that generation and for the next generation to experience. Today, let's take a few minutes to consider an event that took place shortly after the Israelites left Egypt:

And they journeyed from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they departed from the land of Egypt. Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the children of Israel said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” (Exodus 16:1-3)

In the first month and a half of their journey, the Israelites had crossed the Red Sea on dry land and seen their enemies drowned. They had traveled to a place called Marah, where God had miraculously changed the bitter water into drinkable water. Then they came to a safe place called Elim, where they found twelve wells and 70 palm trees. In today's passage we find them in a place called the Wilderness of Sin. By the way, that's the name of the wilderness, not a description of their disobedience. We read in this passage that the Israelites started complaining. “Oh, that we had died by your hand back in Egypt, when we ate from pots of meat and stuffed ourselves on bread! You brought us out here into this wilderness to kill us all with hunger.” Yeah, right! Life was really grand in Egypt as slaves. How quickly they forgot! These people were not grateful to God for His miraculous deliverance from their 400 years of enslavement to brutal Egyptian masters. Now, because of their current circumstances, they had lost sight of how bad things had really been before. Sometimes you and I forget just how good God has been to us, too. He has delivered us from a wayward life of disobedience, adopted us into His family, given us a seat at His table, and blessed us with His glorious presence. Even more than that, He has given us eternal life.

Take some time today to reflect on all the many good things God has done for you in your journey with Him and express your thanks and praise. No matter what your current circumstances are, God has brought you through your own Wilderness of Sin and into a life with Him...and that is very Good News!