The Promised Land

When the Israelites heard that God was going to take themto the promised land they were excited as I'm sure you wouldbe too. The road to the promised land however turned out notto be, what they expected. They expected to be taken therespeedily and in comfort, but instead the road took themthrough the desert and they endured all kinds of hardships.

Food was scarce and so was water, yet there wasn't asingle night they went to bed without having eaten or havingquenched their thirst. God provided in their needs inmiraculous ways.

But the people of God were not happy and started to longback to their life in Egypt. Even though they were slaves,food was widely available and they could eat and drinkwhenever they pleased. They wanted to get to the promisedland as soon as possible and didn't see the need to gothrough all the trouble.

Although the Israelites didn't realize it then, thedifficulties they went through had a purpose. It waspreparing them for the promised land. We always think ofourselves as "right" and ready for whatever life wants togive us, but the truth is, most of the time we are not.And it is only when we are put in a pressure cooker, ifyou will, that our true character is formed.

And even though we don't like this process when we gothrough it, we are always glad afterwards. Becausehindsight gives us the benefit of looking back from ourdestination and seeing which was the best route.

The story I portrayed happened a long time ago, but isstill relevant today. The promise of a land of milk andhoney is as real and as appealing to us today as it wasfor the Israelites. But just as the route of the Biblewent through the desert, our route also sometimes gothrough the desert.

In order to get to the promised land, we sometimes have toendure hardships and make sacrifices, which in the endbecomes worthwhile.

There is the well-known saying, "easy come, easy go." Weall know people who gained instant wealth, and lost it justas instantly.

Why is this? Because they were not prepared. Lastingwealth and happiness takes time and effort. Most people inthe world are not happy where they are, but choose to remainthere because they want the easy life.