Welcome to The Land Between: The Land Between can be profoundly disorienting. It also provides the time and space for God to do the deep work He could not do otherwise. Separated from what we always knew but unsure of what we are to become, we can wander aimlessly without direction or hope. This space is where transformation and growth occur. It is God's intention for us to emerge from the 'Land Between' radically reshaped. The Land Between is also the place where faith goes to die. Our response will determine whether the journey will be a place of barrenness or spiritual renewal. I encourage you to read the book written by Jeff Manion titled The Land Between: Finding God in Difficult Transitions and to participate with an online or zoom discussion group. Please contact Kim_neace@wheatlandsalem.org for more details.

Week One

God revealed his plan to Moses and recruited him to deliver the Israelites from slavery.  All this is captured in Exodus 3. Out of slavery and into the Promised Land sounds like it would be a short trip. But, remember, slavery was all they knew. The Israelites lived in Egypt where life was ordered, food and water was plentiful and available, schedules or expectations were known and communities were easily identified. Nothing is mentioned about how long the journey will take or what they would need to bring for their new life. The Promised Land is on the other side of the desert. The desert is a place of erosion, depletion and separation. It is also where God revealed his plan. The experience in the wasteland was not meant to be a waste. 

We get to witness the Israelite experience from the inside in the book of Numbers. Within a month of leaving Egypt, the Israelites complain. Numbers 11 includes the unfolding of this dramatic episode. After being part of the Exodus and witnessing God's miraculous acts, the people start to think about the way things used to be and they complain. It is important for us to put ourselves within the Israelite community because all of us have complained at some point of our lives. It’s too easy to point out the failure of the Israelites to be grateful to God and ‘should’ on them. We condescendingly say, “Oh, those ungrateful people! They should have done better or they should have had faith.” Ask one of those Israelites to move over and allow you the walk alongside them on this journey. We are in this too.  

The ground in the Land Between is fertile for complaint. Patient endurance is what is desperately needed through this season. Godly endurance is born from the bedrock of trust and a reminder of the love God has for us. Complaint is anchored in the suspicion that God is not good which is why the Israelite complaint was not limited to the food but to the God who saved them and brought them out of the situation they were in. Israelite's complaint was 'they were better off without God.' Hardness of head and bitterness of heart leads the Israelites to abandon their faith and reject God. This is a dangerous position and leads to serious repercussions that include a response that seems harsh and out of character for God, a serious plague and death for some of the Israelites.

Consider when you’ve complained. It may be recently. Perhaps you thought to yourself, My life would be better without….a person, a situation, a relationship or something that you once relied on to the depths of your soul. What happened and what is your role in the situation? Have you taken responsibility for how you contributed, your role or your attitude? It is most important for us to learn from the Israelites what not to do when living in the Land Between. The ultimate question that will accompany us as we navigate through the Land Between is this: what does God desire for me while I navigate through this challenging season?

He answered, “I will certainly be with you, and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: when you bring the people out of Egypt, you will all worship God at this mountain.” Exodus 3:11

Pastor Jen