Returning to My Egypt

‘Here I am again,’ I thought, as I drove through my home town. It was the fourth time in a month that I had found myself driving down familiar streets to help my grandmother. She had hurt herself and needed my assistance. I wanted to help her, but going back there brought up old memories that I would rather not relive. I even prayed, ‘Lord, must I keep going back there? It’s just too painful!’

A few weeks later the Lord turned my attention to Exodus 3:7–15. Moses had killed a man in his home town in Egypt. He fled to live in another country where, several years later, he encountered God in a burning bush. God sent him back to Egypt to lead his people, the Israelites, out of slavery. Moses did not want to go and said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?’ And God told him, ‘I will be with you.’

Those five words sank deeply into my spirit: ‘I will be with you.’ This assured me that God would be with me and give me the strength I needed to persevere. With God’s help, I could get through the pain and return to my ‘Egypt’.

Prayer: Faithful God, thank you for being forever by our side in times of trouble. Give us wisdom to ask for your help and courage to follow your direction. Amen