Enough
Between the Waters: Part 2
September 21, 2025
Exodus 16:1-30, Romans 12:1-2, Psalm 23
The whole Israelite community complained against Moses and Aaron in the desert. The Israelites said to them, “Oh, how we wish that the Lord had just put us to death while we were still in the land of Egypt. There we could sit by the pots cooking meat and eat our fill of bread. Instead, you’ve brought us out into this desert to starve this whole assembly to death.”
~ Exodus 16:2-3 (CEB)
_______________
As we reflect on this week’s scripture about God’s provision in the wilderness, I invite you to take a moment to read through the lyrics of Sara Groves' song Painting Pictures of Egypt. This song delves into the tension between the comfort of the familiar and the uncertainty of the unknown. Groves draws inspiration from the Israelites' journey in Exodus 16, capturing the struggle of moving forward when the past still calls. As you read, consider how these themes resonate with your own experiences of change and longing.
You can also listen to the full song here:
Painting Pictures of Egypt – by Sara Groves
I don't want to leave here, I don't want to stay
It feels like pinching to me, either way
And the places I long for the most
Are the places where I've been
They are calling out to me like a long-lost friend
It's not about losing faith. It's not about trust.
It's all about comfortable, when you move so much
And the place I was wasn't perfect
But I had found a way to live
And it wasn't milk or honey, but then neither is this
I've been painting pictures of Egypt
Leaving out what it lacks
The future feels so hard, and I want to go back
But the places that used to fit me
Cannot hold the things I've learned
Those roads were closed off to me
While my back was turned
The past is so tangible, I know it by heart
Familiar things are never easy to discard
I was dying for some freedom, but now I hesitate to go
I am caught between the Promise and the things I know
If it comes too quick, I may not appreciate it
Is that the reason behind all this time in sand?
And if it comes to quick, I may not recognize it
Is that the reason behind all this time in sand?
No matter how good a new season may be, we humans have a way of thinking the grass is always greener on the other side, even if that other side is the place we left behind for good reasons. No place or time is perfect. There will always be struggles. Yet, like Israel, we are often quick to diminish the struggles of our past and exaggerate the difficulties of our present or the challenges we imagine in the future.
God’s provision of manna calls us to a different rhythm of life. Like the prayer Jesus taught us, we are invited to rely on our daily bread. So long as we pine for past nostalgia or agonize over a future we cannot know or control, we are not truly living. Israel’s life in slavery was marked by striving and production, much like our modern lives. God invites us to a life of trust, of presence, and of rest.
For Further Reflection:
When you find yourself longing for “Egypt”, what parts of your past are you holding onto, and what might you be overlooking?
What would it look like for you to receive God’s daily provision with gratitude and trust?