Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the children of Israel said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
Exodus 16:2-3
Have you ever been in a phase of life when you constantly think back to a different time and wondered what would have happened if you had done a few things differently? It may be that you are going through a rough time and part of you believe that certain past decisions or relationships are the cause. It may be that you are in a place of relative peace, calm, and even prospering but something seems out of place. You may feel that something you once had is missing and look back to a time when that missing piece was in place. Whatever the issue, a major part of the problem may be our perspective.
Many, if not most of us, have criticized the Israelites for their behavior while traveling through the wilderness. We often point back to how God miraculously delivered and provided for them in the previous verses of scripture, wondering how they could be so narrow minded. However, if we are honest with ourselves, we are the same—if not worse, because we have scripture and the example of their experiences to guide us. Our focus on the past, our regrets, and our ‘what if’ musings are no different from what the children of Israel did. We have all made mistakes and the longer we live, the more mistakes we will likely make. It is a natural human tendency to look at past events and wonder how our lives would be different now, but God has much more for us.
It is difficult to discern what God is doing in the moment if we allow our minds to continually dwell on the past. We would do well to remember that while our view of life is limited to what we have seen and are now seeing, God sees all things at once. Our limited perspective often does not allow us to appreciate the present. If we are in a place that does not satisfy our desires, we tend to try and get out of it, though it may be that God is using that time and space to prepare us for something greater. The Apostle Paul wrote that what the Israelites experienced in the wilderness “happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition” (1 Corinthians 10:11). The enemy would have us convinced that our situation amounts to little less than consequences for our actions, fate, luck, or coincidence. While our actions do affect our lives, the unfolding of our whole life is far beyond just fate and every day is an opportunity to experience God’s design for us!
God has a plan for each of us (Jeremiah 29:11) and what He speaks about us will be fulfilled because His word will always accomplish what He please (Isaiah. 55:11). Looking back and replaying ‘what ifs’ in our mind does little to change our present circumstances. In fact, they are simply noise that drown out what God is trying to say to us today. Living our lives with regret ignores that “A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps” (Proverbs 16:9). God never loses control and is never surprised by the outcome of our decisions. He gives us free will, but like a father who gently guides his young child, He is always near and is actively working for our good. Trust in the Lord for your tomorrow. Do no lean on your own understanding, and never let the rear-view mirror dictate the route before you!
The Watchman's Diary 
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