I have to start off by saying that God’s word is alive and active; hallelujah. Last night, I was reading in Jeremiah and God’s people were headed back to Egypt and living in complete rebellion to the Lord. They wanted to do what they wanted and they thought “freedom” was in the very place they were in bondage years before. God was pretty tired of it.. His love sent people over and over to confront their sins and “idols and things they created with their own hands” but the people disregarded it. They wanted to do what they wanted.

I sat there and thought, 

“How dumb can they be? Don’t they know the suffering and prayers their families lived through to be free from Egypt?”

And God delivered them… it was a miracle. A story that is still told today.

Yet these people thought it was better to go back.

God even told His people if they go back there would be famine and they would die, but they chose to rely on themselves… and well, that didn’t turn out so great. People died— in their own worship and pride.

This morning I was praying and God revealed something so amazing to me. He’s been teaching me to be obedient, lie low (be humble), stay in the boundaries and let go. Surrender was something scary to me for some reason in the past few months, but it has been so healing… God knows what He is talking about. As I was praying through things, the Spirit said,

“Chelsie, do not go back.”

I could hardly catch my breath because it was as if everything clicked. I started to praise God at first because I didn’t know what else to do; I knew exactly what He meant.

Just like the Israelites, God was telling me to not look back and not to walk back to the place of bondage and slavery. The only reason we go back is because we trust in ourselves and not Christ…. Christ died to set us free; not for us to run back to bondage.

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Galatians 5:1

Sometimes we read the scriptures (well this is true for me anyways) and we think the Israelites were crazy… and we often miss that we are the same. Our hearts are so prone to wander and we are in desperate need of God and His mercy and grace. We must bind ourselves to Him and make a choice to not go back.

So my “Egypt,” so long… you are behind me and Christ paid a price that was not cheap. His promises are so real and true— I don’t want to leave His will. Lord, guard me and help me to never be proud or rely on myself. Take away all idols and make me Yours! 

Like the old song, when you decide to follow Jesus there’s “no turning back; no turning back.”