Many times in the Bible God tells His people to “Go up!” “Go up to Bethel and settle there…” Genesis 35:1. “Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey.” Exodus 33:3. “Go up and take possession of the land I have given you.” Deuteronomy 9:23.
We like to hear these stories where God says, “go up”, “take a chance”, “move forward”, “be bold”. But what about when God says, “Stay put”? That’s not usually what we want to hear, especially if we’re in a marriage that is less than ideal, a job we can’t stand, or place we feel we don’t belong.
God told Israel to “stay put” while they were captives in Babylon. Through the prophet Jeremiah He said, “Build houses and settle down…seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Jeremiah 29:5, 7
Israel didn’t want to hear this. They wanted to go home. They were tired of being servants in a foreign land. They wanted to be able to do their own thing, make their own plans, be in charge of their own lives.
Israel wanted to “go up”, but God told them to “stay put.” Why? Because it wasn’t time yet. He said, in verse 10, “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place.”
Right now you may feel trapped in a situation you can’t stand. You’re natural inclination may be to call it quits, to move on. That might be the right thing to do, but it might not. God sees the end from the beginning and He may see it is best for you to stay where you are for right now.
Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23 NIV. Sometimes this may mean staying in a job or a situation which is less than ideal. If so, remember He always “works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28.
Today, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6. If He’s telling you to “Go up”, then get moving! But if He says, “Stay put”, then be thankful. You’re right where you belong!