Read: Deuteronomy 17:14–20

You must never return that way again. Deuteronomy 17:16

After escaping slavery, the Israelites were never again to return to Egypt. When they first fled into the desert, they longed for the savory food, the good drink, and the adequate shelter they’d had in that foreign country. They cried out against God saying, “Why have you brought us out of the land of Egypt to kill us in the desert?” Even after the Hebrew people established themselves as a stable nation, when threatened, they would always consider returning to Egypt for warhorses, chariots, and national alliances, which they believed would keep them safe. When times were difficult, the Israelites longed for the safety of their old, enslaved lives. But God told them never to return. Once the bonds of the past have been broken, one never returns to the prison again. One never goes back, one just moves forward.

Are there any old and unhealthy relationships, situations, or habits in your life that beckon you back into bondage?

Lord, when You free us from the chains of the past, You command us never to go back. There are moments, however, when I am tempted to return. An old flame, a trusty addiction, an unhealthy but familiar working relationship can seem preferable to my present troubles. But the difficulties of the present are never worth returning to the slavery of the past. Help me to move forward with You without looking back. In Jesus’ name, I pray. AMEN.