Below, God was telling the Israelites that they must never go back to Egypt to get horses (or anything). God was their provider.
“You shall never return that way again.”
Deuteronomy 17:16
Most of us have places in our lives where we’ve said, “Never again!” It may have been a class reunion, an abusive company, or a visit to a distant cousin. Those are easy for us to say, “Never again.” But what about the people, places, and things that we used as enablers, as crutches? People that helped us but also tempted us to waver from the path of righteousness.
A Trap
When I was 16, I was at a tipping point in my life. I was very technical and tutored some kids in college. I was saved. I wanted to serve Jesus, but I didn’t fit in anywhere. My church didn’t know what to do with me, my parents didn’t know what to do with me, and the few friends I had were not Christians, and even they didn’t know what to do with me. I just didn’t fit.
I wanted a righteous life, but I was starved, and that’s not good for a teenager. One day a friend of mine invited me to his house, but we didn’t go to his house. He was older than me and looked even older. He was driving, we were talking, the radio was blaring, and I paid no attention to where we were headed. We ended up at some apartments across the street from a shady club.
He said he had some friends he wanted me to meet. Hesitantly, I said “ok,” (I was and am an introvert) so he knocked on a door. A woman opened the door and welcomed us in. In moments, I was sitting in the living room with two women in their early twenties that worked at that club. They asked if I wanted something to drink. I said, “sure,” thinking, “I’m 16 and look 12”, so it would be a soft drink; they brought me a beer. I’d never drunk a beer in my life!
My friend was trying to get me to be like him; I couldn’t. I drank some of the beer and because I was terrified, I was unable to carry on any conversation. Finally, my friend gave up and we left. He took me home. I didn’t fall into sin that day, but it helped to push me over the tipping point. I decided that to have friends I needed to be like them. I spent the next four years in constant misery. I was as the apostle Paul wrote:
“For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.”
Romans 7:15
Crossing Over the Red Sea
When I finally rededicated my life to Jesus, I went to each of my friends and shared my testimony. That ended all my old friendships. Like the Israelites escaped Egypt by leaving the land of bondage and heading toward their land of promise, I escaped my old life, and God made it clear to me to never again go back to that life for help. He was now my Jehovah Jireh – “The LORD Will Provide.” And He has.
I would like to say that I’ve been perfect since then, but if I did, you’d know I I would like to say that I’ve been perfect since then, but if I did, you’d know I was lying. Nevertheless, Almighty God has always provided for me. Sure, I’ve had lean years and bountiful years, tough times, and glorious times and times I’ve shot myself in the foot, but He has never failed me. Jesus will do the same for you. We may faulter but He is steadfast and sure. Here is one of the great promises from God:
“I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.”
Psalms 37:25
If we give our lives to Jesus, then never again should we look to the world for help because God always has been and shall always be “The Lord Will Provide. “
You may like: Healing of the thing within us that we have not perceived as ill.