I’m Not Going to Egypt

Acts 16: 6-10
“And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”

A great example someone gave to me was some people are like red lights and some are like green lights. “If God wants me to go, He will give me a sign, but until He does I’m not going to move.” This person is a red light waiting for a green light from the Lord. But for others, such as myself, we’re green lights. “If God doesn’t want me to do this He’ll give me a red light, but until then I’m full steam ahead!”

Part of my motivation for always stepping out comes from the books of James that talks about how “faith without works is dead.”

James 2:14-17
“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

I never want to miss an opportunity to share the love of God whether it’s in a small ways like tipping wait staff well or in big ways like going to Egypt for six weeks to do ministry.

For the past few months, I’ve been unsettled about my decision to go to Egypt. I haven’t felt the peace of the Lord like I do when I make decisions like that. I thought maybe it was just my emotions getting in the way so I pressed on. Just like when you are working out sometimes your mind and body don’t feel like it, but “I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.” (1 Corinthians 9:19).

Then, yesterday I was reading a book called “Bonhoeffer” by Eric Metaxas. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was one of the great theologians of the 21^st century that was executed at the hands of the Nazis. He stood by the Jews and was a voice of dissent against the madness when many Christians were afraid to take a stand against Hitler. The Nazis were so determined to take everything Jewish out of Germany including the “Jewish parts” of the Bible.

During Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, “homes and businesses were destroyed and looted, synagogues were set aflame, and Jews were beaten and killed”. This was under the orders of Hitler and implemented by his henchman Reinhard Heydrich.

Bonhoeffer was in the German countryside teaching when he found out what was going on:

“In his Bible that day or the next, Bonhoeffer was reading Psalm 74. This was the text he happened to be meditating upon. What he read startled him, and with his pencil he put a vertical line in the margin to mark it, with an exclamation point next to the line.”

 Psalm 74:8 KJV
“They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land.”

“Bonhoeffer saw this as an example of God speaking to him, and to the Christians in Germany. God was telling him something through his Word that day, and as he meditated and prayed, Bonhoeffer realized that the synagogues that had been burned in Germany were God’s own. This was when Bonhoeffer most clearly saw the connection: to lift one’s hand against the Jews was to lift one’s hand against God himself. The Nazis were attacking God by attacking his people. The Jews in Germany were not only not God’s enemies; they were his beloved children. Quite literally, this was a revelation.” (Pg 315-316, Chapter: Mars Ascending, Bonhoeffer).

Meditation is a practice I’m familiar with and do not implement as much as I should, but after reading that yesterday I was given a boost of confidence. If God can speak to Bonhoeffer about the current events of his time in 1938, He can definitely help me with this decision about Egypt!

It was late last night and I sat down at my writing desk. I prayed a simple prayer asking God if He wanted me to go to Egypt? Trying not to overthink, I just went to the first scripture that came to my mind. Isaiah 28.

I started reading Isaiah 28. No revelation.

Undeterred, I read further into Isaiah 29, which foreshadowed the coming of Christ, but still no revelation.

Then, I started reading Isaiah 30—-OH. MY. GOD.

I burst out laughing.

My bible is the English Standard Version and the title header for this chapter is “Do Not Go Down to Egypt.”

Isaiah 30:1-2

“Ah, stubborn children,” declares the Lord,
“who carry out a plan, but not mine,
and who make an alliance, but not of my Spirit,
that they may add sin to sin;
who set out to go down to Egypt,
without asking for my direction,
to take refuge in the protection of Pharaoh
and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt!”

Contextually, Isaiah was given this word to the Israelites because they were afraid of the Assyrians who were tearing through the land and ruthlessly killing people. They were sending envoys to Egypt in the hopes of securing their protection instead of turning to God in their hour of need, which is ironic because Egypt used to be their oppressors! “Ah, stubborn children…”

Even if this word wasn’t good enough for the Israelites, it was good enough for Heidi Gray.

Conclusion

I’m not going to Egypt this summer. Not because it’s not a fantastic opportunity to work with a great team of leaders and an amazing cultural experience, but I feel like God directing me to stay here for a season. 

I don’t know why, but what I do know is I learned so much this year on the World Race and I want to continue to share that with my friends and community. I want to give back what God has freely given me: love, grace, freedom, etc. and I want to continue to be lead by his Spirit.

When I thought about leaving, the word that came to my mind was “unfinished”. God isn’t finished with me here yet. So you’re stuck with me.

Philippians 1:6
“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”