Let's start with Moses. He found a strange burning bush that was not burning up, just burning. He was told he was on holy ground and to take off his sandals. God said,

Exodus 3:9 My people have begged for my help, and I have seen how cruel the Egyptians are to them.
3:10 Now go to the king! I am sending you to lead my people out of his country.
3:11 But Moses said, "Who am I to go to the king and lead your people out of Egypt?" (CEV)

Although he agreed to do it, Moses showed his reluctant human side. Moses knew that he couldn't do it and God had to convince him that it wouldn't be him doing it, but God would be working through him.

Consider the king of Egypt. Many times he was shown the power of God as plague after plague swept through Egypt but the king still refused to release the Israelites. It wasn't until the plague in which all the Egyptians' first born children were killed that he finally cries, "I give, I give" but then, hours later, he has the audacity to give chase with his best chariots and go out into the desert to bring the Israelites back. The king of Egypt showed deep seated reluctance to let anyone (even God) change his status quo by taking his slaves out of Egypt.

Now as far as the Israelites knew, they were home free. They had left Egypt and were camped near the Red Sea. Suddenly

Exodus 14:10 When the Israelites saw the king coming with his army, they were frightened and begged the LORD for help.
14:11 They also complained to Moses, "Wasn't there enough room in Egypt to bury us? Is that why you brought us out here to die in the desert? Why did you bring us out of Egypt anyway?
14:12 While we were there, didn't we tell you to leave us alone? We had rather be slaves in Egypt than die in this desert!"
14:13 But Moses answered, "Don't be afraid! Be brave, and you will see the LORD save you today. These Egyptians will never bother you again.
14:14 The LORD will fight for you, and you won't have to do a thing." (CEV)

The Israelites were showing their reluctance. They were reluctant to trust the Lord would take care of them. They complained heavily, saying that even their tortuous slavery in Egypt was better than possibly dying in this desert. They didn't appreciate this deliverance that God had orchestrated for them.

Exodus 15:22 After the Israelites left the Red Sea, Moses led them through the Shur Desert for three days, before finding water.
15:23 They did find water at Marah, but it was bitter, which is how that place got its name.
15:24 The people complained and said, "Moses, what are we going to drink?"
15:25 Moses asked the LORD for help, and the LORD told him to throw a piece of wood into the water. Moses did so, and the water became fit to drink.. (CEV)

The Lord showed miracle after miracle to these favored children, but they insisted on being bitter. They showed a bitterness toward the Lord, a bitterness to Moses and if they weren't perfectly comfortable, they were ready to run back to Egypt and be chained up in slavery once again. It is quite obvious that even the best miracles in or out of this world do not always convince people of the truth.

Exodus 16:2 There in the desert they started complaining to Moses and Aaron,
16:3 "We wish the LORD had killed us in Egypt. When we lived there, we could at least sit down and eat all the bread and meat we wanted. But you have brought us out here into this desert, where we are going to starve."
16:4 The LORD said to Moses, "I will send bread down from Heaven like rain. Each day the people can go out and gather only enough for that day. That's how I will see if they obey me. (CEV)

Here, Moses and Aaron are getting fed up with the constant complaining and they ask the people, "Who are we that you should grumble at us?" Although the Lord had said to keep the Sabbath holy and NOT go out and gather the manna…

Exodus 16:27 A few of the Israelites did go out to look for some, but there was none.
16:28 Then the LORD said, "Moses, how long will you people keep disobeying my laws and teachings?"
16:29"Remember that I was the one who gave you the Sabbath. That's why on the sixth day I provide enough bread for two days. Everyone is to stay home and rest on the Sabbath." (CEV)

The Israelites must have been filled with curiosity. Is this why some of them disobeyed God's order and went out to look for the manna from Heaven on the 7th day even though they didn't need any and were ordered not to? What is this trait, found in the human race, that when God gives an order, we deliberately challenge it? When God asks us to trust Him, we complain and grumble and whine that it was better back in slavery.

The Israelites camped at Rephidim but there was no water to drink. Of course we all need water to live but there is an attitude of grumbling and complaining that Moses and God find irritating.

Exodus 17:2 The people started complaining to Moses, "Give us some water!" Moses replied, "Why are you complaining to me and trying to put the LORD to the test?"
17:3 But the people were thirsty and kept on complaining, "Moses, did you bring us out of Egypt just to let us and our families and our animals die of thirst?"
17:4 Then Moses prayed to the LORD, "What am I going to do with these people? They are about to stone me to death!" (CEV)

The Lord, once again, miraculously supplied their needs so that when Moses struck a rock at Mt. Sinai with his staff, water poured out to drink.

God's children, the Israelites, were filled with reluctance and complaining. Did God actually create a race that was unable to trust Him? Why was the human race so filled with reluctance to follow God's instructions? Are we, today, still grumbling and complaining despite the appearance of God in this world who came that we might have life more abundantly?

The Lord told Moses to get down from the mountain and hurry back to camp because everyone had started acting wickedly and they were making a graven image to worship. Is it possible we are still making graven images out of whatever materials we can collect in this highly materialistic world?

Exodus 32:1 After the people saw that Moses had been on the mountain for a long time, they went to Aaron and said, "Make us an image of a god who will lead and protect us. Moses brought us out of Egypt, but nobody knows what has happened to him."
32:2 Aaron told them, "Bring me the gold earrings that your wives and sons and daughters are wearing."
32:3 Everybody took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron,
32:4 then he melted them and made an idol in the shape of a young bull. All the people said to one another, "This is the god who brought us out of Egypt!" (CEV)

The evidence mounts up as we read accounts all through the Bible that indicate our human race has a stubborn streak a mile wide. We seem unwilling to follow God's teachings and promises.

Noah was a rare example of someone who was "good" and God had him build an ark for his family and the world's animals. After many years of work, God flooded the world but saved Noah and his family. Now, at last, God could start over. But, later, even Noah had a little too much to drink which led his sons into sin as they disrespected him.

Did God's plan to flood the world and rid it of sin and rebellion work?

No. Then God sent many prophets (minor and major) to urge us to listen to God and do as He says. Many of the prophets led lives of utter isolation and disappointment and, ultimately, their warnings and revelations came true. But still, the prophets were often speaking as if to a wall. Most of the time, the people just wouldn't listen and just couldn't bring themselves to make the changes God was asking them to make.

Jonah was a reluctant prophet when God told him to go to Nineveh. He was determined to run from God but repented and was rescued from the belly of a fish. Once he got to Nineveh, Jonah's story became an exception, for a time, and perhaps even offered God a little hope in His rebellious children. The people of Nineveh actually listened to Jonah and repented, which surprised and disappointed Jonah. He really wanted to see God "sock it to them" but God had to remind Jonah that, ultimately, this is the type of action He wants from his creation. All should repent and change their ways of living. I believe the Lord was happy to not have to destroy Jonah, then, (praise Him) He was able to show mercy after the people of Nineveh repented and He didn't have to destroy them. On a side note, later the people of Nineveh returned to their old, rebellious ways and eventually Nineveh came under fire from God.

As a last resort, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins, for our stubbornness, for our rebellious and willful ways. We are not asked to do a lot. We only need to accept that He died for our sins so that once we accept Him into our hearts, we don't have to focus on the sins anymore, but only focus on Him. Praise God for this! In addition, we must believe that Jesus is God made manifest but, because of our mile-wide stubborn streak, even doing this and being willing to allow Christ to guide and change us from the inside, for many of us, is a most difficult thing to do. Given our nature of stubbornness and willfulness and disobedience, is it not something we should do anyway? We desperately need His life-changing power.

Accepting Christ as our Savior does not take higher math concepts or advanced cognitive recognition. It just takes willing and humble hearts, like the people Jonah warned at Nineveh. The very nature of reluctance that still makes up our souls causes us to find many reasons to put off giving our hearts to Jesus.

It is prudent that we not trust our natural minds, knowing our minds and hearts are deceived. From this viewpoint, we should make a decision for Christ even if we don't feel like it.

Being willing to allow God to lead us to the Promised Land, like Moses led the Israelites, is a very worthwhile goal. In our sad, sad human history it has finally come to the point where God is no longer requiring us to change ourselves. He knows we are incapable of changing ourselves because it is too hard and we're too reluctant and there is just too much temptation dissuading us. So He has made it extremely easy, now. The problem is, it takes child-like trust to do it. We must get humble and let God know we are willing to give our lives to Jesus, accept His sacrifice on the cross for us, which not only assures us of eternal life with Him, but allows Him to heal our crusty, stubborn, reluctant nature. These stubborn vehicles can, at last, be of value to God but only through our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Why not be transformed by the renewal of your mind in Christ Jesus, now? The pain of the change will be short lived. The healing Jesus brings will be eternal.

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