Deuteronomy 11:10
“For the land, whither thou goest in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs:”
I have had the privilege of living in several states that are in many different regions of the country. I spent most of my youth years in California, but have since lived in the Chicago region, West Virginia and presently in Texas. One thing I have learned about each area is that they are all different. People oftentimes ask me which part of the country I love the most. I can’t tell them which part I love the most because there is something about each place that I like. If I were to ever compare where I presently live to a place where I previously lived, then I would be very disappointed in life.
God warned Israel of this very danger. God told them bluntly that the land where He was taking them would not be like the land of Egypt. The land of Egypt was as a “garden of herbs;” whereas, the land where they were going would be a land of hills and valleys that depended upon the rain to water. If Israel were to fall into the trap of comparing where they used to live to the land where God was taking them, then they would not be happy with the Promised Land.
Many people struggle with wanting the new place to be like the old. It could be that someone moved from one church to another and became disappointed because the newer church didn’t do things like the old church. It could be a job where you work, a home you purchased or a region of the country where you live. Comparing one place to another always lead to disappointment. Let me give you some thoughts that will help you appreciate where you are.
First, enjoy the benefits of where you are. Every place has its good and bad. No, the place where you are may not be like the past, but it has some things you like that the past did not have. Don’t lose the benefits of where you are by trying to compare the past to the present. You went to where you are because of something you liked, so don’t lose focus on that because you learned the warts of a place.
Second, keep good memories of your past, but move on. I believe you ought to enjoy what God did for you in a past place, but you must move on. Always remember that the past had good times, but it also had its own problems as well. Don’t fall for the trap that the past had no difficulties or issues.
Third, it is impossible to go back to where you used to be. If you choose to move back to a place where you used to be, you will find that it is not the same once you get there. They moved on without you and things have changed. Many people went back to a place where they used to be and became very disappointed with life because it wasn’t the same.
Friend, bury your roots where you are and enjoy the blessings of God. It’s time you unload the moving truck in your mind and plant yourself where you are. You will never enjoy life until you do this.