I came across Israel’s nostalgic lament three verses into my Bible reading this morning.
And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger. (Exodus 16:3, KJV)
Nostalgia, the “good old days,” how things used to be—oh, how deceitful these are! Why? Because they don’t tell the whole story. The Egyptian diet is not the whole story; what about their slavery?
The truth is that God’s goodness follows us all the time and in every decade and generation. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: And I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. (Psalm 23:6, KJV) But times were better back then; they were simpler and happier. No, not really! God’s grace and goodness are as powerful now as they were back then. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; And his truth endureth to all generations. (Psalm 100:5, KJV)
Does God still love us? Yes! Is God still helping us? Yes! Is God still showing Himself mighty in our lives? Yes! Does God still have a good plan and an expected end for our lives? Yes! Can we still see God’s salvation in our day? Yes! Well, then, today and tomorrow are full of promise! And those good old days — don’t believe the hype! Let’s look for the new thing God is doing today.
Behold, I will do a new thing; Now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, And rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43:19, KJV)
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