Transition exposes our hearts and strip away our filters, as we see in the story of the Israelites approaching the Red Sea. The Egyptians pursued the Israelites with all of Pharaoh’s army—horses, chariots, charioteers, and troops—and caught up with them camped near Pi-hahiroth, across from Baal-zephon.
Exodus 14:10 As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the Lord, 11 and they said to Moses, “Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt?[1]
Israel found itself in an unexpected situation—freed from Egypt yet now stuck between the Red Sea and an approaching enemy. It is often during transitions that we discover what we are made of. Will we depend on God, or will we blame Him? What spills from their mouths is not praise for deliverance but fear, accusation, and regret. When God reveals what is in our hearts, it is an opportunity to repent and turn back to God, even in the face of failure.
God Wants to Change Our Hearts
The Israelites’ complaints did not surprise God, nor do ours. Transitions often create pressure points and expose the areas of life we need to change. As people, we may not realize what we need to change because we can deceive ourselves into thinking we are further along on our faith journey than we are. When we begin to blame God and others for our circumstances, it reveals that we have work to do.
If we have an open heart to the work of the Holy Spirit, the Lord can use our failures to get our attention and reveal our need for forgiveness and transformation. As we meditate on Paul’s advice in Romans 12:2, we realize that the Israelites were acting like the world. We can do the same thing, but this is not God’s desire for any of us. Romans 12:2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. [2] Will you let God transform your heart?
Life Circumstances Can Be a Great Teacher
When faced with circumstances we don’t understand, we have a choice: to become better or bitter. If we allow God to speak to us through our challenges, we can become better. Ephesians 4:31Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. [3]
To learn more about how transition exposes our hearts, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/trusting-god-in-the-transition
[1-3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.