Devarim “Words”
Deuteronomy 1:1–3:22
Isaiah 1:1–27
Hebrews 7-13

Long Enough

I have often thought about the scene we read about in this Torah portion. The emotions that must have been running that day in Moses were too much to describe. These people whom he had learned to love deeply through the trials of the wilderness stand before him. He sees unfolding in them the excitement and fear of walking in the new day. He speaks on this day with all the love, compassion and forcefulness he can muster. His words challenge them to complete a task he will fall one step short of.

Moses begins by taking them back to the beginning of their journey and recapping the struggles both they and he went through. He reminds them of a certain mountain they had lived at long enough and his challenge to them on that day to turn from that mountain and get moving. Moses understood they had to go to the Promised Land – it was not going to come to them. They would have to break camp and begin the journey with an infamous first step of faith if they were to make it home.

I wonder as I think through these words of Moses just how they are pertaining to us today. I know in my own heart as well as in many of your own that we all are getting so tired of waiting at the mountain. Many today are feeling we have lived here and circled this thing long enough. Is it not time for us to move on? Think about it for a moment. Is there not a level of excitement churning within your spirit today to begin the journey? I know there is in mine.

I for one am ready to see the manna, to take a drink from the rock! I want to see the enemies of Elohim crumble at the very mention of His name. I am ready for it all to begin! Or am I? This is a question that haunts me as I stand next to the mountain of my own comfort zone and see that the time to leave is approaching very soon. Am I really ready for what lies ahead? Have I learned the lessons of this mountain to the point that I am ready to graduate and move on? I wonder.

There is really no way to know today if we are ready or not. In fact I would imagine that if the truth were shown to us, none of us are ready. If we think we are then we will surely be the first to go through the testing of pride reduced to humility. I think we are like a Navy ship leaving port for the first time. In our minds we have gone though every scenario of the journey we can possibly think through. We have tested and retested our systems and our gear, but when the first steps are taken each of us will quickly realize just how different is the real journey from the testing we performed while in port.

Thoughts of leaving the mountain can be a bit scary when we really stop to think about it. They can even begin to overwhelm us to the point of uncertainty, or if we should even take on the task. We can begin to question so many things that it may paralyze us to the place of indecision and uncertainty. Such thoughts can bring us to the place of questioning if we are really up to the journey at all. Congratulations, we are now to the point of being ready to leave!

I came to the conclusion a long time ago that in my own strength I would never be ready for the journey. Though I have been and still am a major proponent of preparing, I understand there is only so much I can do. Do not take me wrong, I believe we should do what we should do, but without His presence going with us, we had better not take one step away from this mountain. We had better not walk away one foot length without making sure He is going with us. For none of my or your preparation will be of any use without an anointing and presence only the Creator can give.

Maybe soon it will be time to leave this mountain. I for one pray it is. Every day we are left gazing at it, though it should be a day to prepare under His direction. Maybe the greatest preparation we can do however is to make ourselves understand that in the end it will be His strength that carries us day by day and not our own.

See ya’ when the journey begins.