10 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, so that I may perform these signs of Mine among them, 2 and that you may tell in the presence of your son, and of your grandson, how I made a mockery of the Egyptians and how I performed My signs among them, so that you may know that I am the Lord.” Exodus 10:1-2

Israel wandered in the desert for forty years. Their journey is filled with hardships and adversities as they seek to enter the Promised Land. What is the Promised Land? A land flowing with milk and honey doesn’t refer to the quality of the land. It refers to a place where we believe and trust in God. It’s a place where we look only to God and obey Him. It flows with milk and honey when we keep our faith. It’s cursed when we don’t. Like the people of Israel wandering in the desert, we’re on our own journey to enter the Promised Land.

They are on a journey to enter this land of milk and honey. God leads them through the wilderness, where they witness God’s miracles. They believe only to doubt again when they meet another obstacle that seems insurmountable. After God delivers Israel through the ten plagues, they doubt Him again when they are trapped at the sea by Pharaoh’s army. Back and forth, they believe, then doubt, then believe again. For this reason, they wander the desert for forty years.

We’re all on a journey. God has a path laid out for us. And like the people of Israel, we encounter hardships, obstacles, and times when we feel trapped, like there is the Red Sea in front of us and Pharaoh’s army chasing us from behind. Why does God have to make this journey so adventurous? Why can’t it just be smooth sailing from the get-go? God wants us to know Him. God wants us to be knowledgeable about Him. He wants us to depend only on Him. He wants us to believe in Him.

After Moses brings Israel from the miraculous Red Sea experience and leads them in the wilderness for three days, they arrive at Marah where the water is too bitter to drink. The people begin to grumble and complain. God tells Moses to throw wood into the bitter water, and the water was miraculously made sweet. Why does God do this? He knows the water is bitter. God knows everything, right? God gives us hardships because He wants us to reach out to Him. He wants us to get on our knees, pray, and ask for His help.

Once again, when the people of Israel grumble about running out of food, God tells Moses He will rain down bread from heaven. Manna appeared for six days, and the people gathered it and boiled it in pots to make flat cakes. Why did God do this? He knew the people of Israel needed food, but He wanted them to look to Him only. He wanted to hear their cries for help. God reassures us that we will never starve or go hungry! God will take care of our livelihood if we believe in Him and do as He says.

We must believe in God’s love, His power, and His promise. God has a journey planned for us. Never doubt this. It’s easy for us to complain and grumble like the people of Israel when things don’t go our way. Why is God doing this to me? Why does it seem like God is punishing me? No! We’re on a journey and God gives us different situations in life because He wants to confirm our faith. He wants us to look only to Him. And if we do have faith… If we believe in His love and promise, have no fear! He will deliver us when we face the Red Sea. He will deliver us when Pharaoh’s army chases us from behind. He can do all things. And maybe we can learn from Israel’s mistakes and be steadfast in our faith regardless of the event we encounter.

Click for Korean sermon https://soundcloud.com/yhpaik/1982-1-31-long