What is your EGYPT?

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in Chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the LORD! - Isaiah 31:1

Over the past couple of months by the grace of God, I've been coming to a realization about my 'Egypt'. Through Isaiah 30 and 31, God has really been guiding me to meditate upon what are the idols in my life and the urgency of His calling. I've been thinking and wrestling before God: what are the chariots in my life that I am trusting in, what are the things in my life that God says are "worthless and empty", but I think otherwise.

Egypt's help is worthless and empty; therefore I have called her "Rahab who sits still."

Here are some of the things I have come to realize (once again) by the grace of God. I have been living every day trusting my decisions and my judgments about life. "Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the Lord!" I read this verse over and over again, and only after maybe the 5th time or so I came to think about the word woe - destruction, judgment, calamity. God knows and promises judgment will come and He wants me to turn back to Him before the time comes and it's too late. So I thought to myself, "What do I seek comfort in right now? What am I relying on besides God?".

For me, Egypt is the future image of myself and who I want to become (rooted from worldly standards, not an identity in God's). God says "The Egyptians are man, not God" but I realized that I often fear people more than God. He continues to say"their horses are flesh, not spirit". The second part about spirit really hit me. The Spirit of God has so much power. It has the power to create this entire universe, to create me, and to give me life in Christ. But how come I am still living in the flesh? I worry about third/fourth year, what am I gonna do after undergrad like other university students. God looks at the motivations of these worries. My worries stem from a heart of sin and the desire to protect what I have in my hands right now, the comfort of feeling okay and not lacking in the society's standards. I worry about university and my future because I want to avoid suffering. But I've realized that my worries in Christ could be along the lines of "God, my heart is not prepared to live out the life you want me to live, to give you glory." "How can I use this education for you God?" but in reality, these were not at the forefront of my thoughts.

This is a result of sin. I keep trying to find my purpose somewhere else, my joy somewhere else, my drive somewhere else. That is me going somewhere else that is not God. I am so grateful to the Lord for teaching me these things and guiding my prayers to understand the sin within my heart. But what is even more amazing is the grace of God revealed in the next passage.

Turn to him from whom people have deeply revolted, O children of Israel. For that day everyone shall cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which your hands have sinfully made for you. (Isaiah 31:6)

God is not leaving us in the sinful pattern of life. He gives us a commandment and reaffirmation. He says to turn to him now. Don't wait till you're perfect (in my interpretation), don't wait for tomorrow, because He will show you the way. Turn to God and He will be the one fixing the idols in our life! I love this. Once we turn to God and seek counsel in God before acting on our own beliefs, He will cast away the idols for us.

And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left."Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. you will say to them, "Begone!"

This message of hope changed my heart towards God. It showed me how big our God is and that He is guiding me closer to Him as he has been guiding me all my life even when I am not looking towards Him. I pray that my identity in cross becomes the cornerstone of my faith. I want to remind myself and whoever is reading this that God's grace is so big and in this process of sanctification before God, we must continue to turn to Him.