Every Stage of the Journey
By David Faust
Numbers 33:1 says, โHere are the stages in the journey of the Israelites when they came out of Egypt.โ The chapter goes on to list all of the places the Israelites camped before they moved on. At first glance, a Scripture passage like this seems boring and insignificant. Why should we care if the Israelites camped at Mithkah for a while and then moved to Hashmonah (v. 29)?
Iโm glad this chapter is in the Bible, though, because it reminds us that in Godโs eyes, every stage of the journey matters. The Lord knows every school you have attended, every job you have had, every place you have lived, every problem you have faced. He understands the stresses you face whether you are a young adult starting your career or a senior adult grieving the death of a beloved spouse.
Every stage of your spiritual journey matters, too, whether you are a new Christian getting started in your faith or you have been walking with the Lord for decades. The Father knows where you are camped right now. He will be with you when you go through seasons of testing and when you come to the end of your earthly journey.
GOD KNOWS YOUR CAMPSITE
Davidโs life went through many different seasons, and the Lord was his shepherd through every stage:
- a young boy, caring for the sheep on his fatherโs farm,
- a heralded warrior who conquered Goliath,
- a fugitive running from King Saul,
- a poet and songwriter who composed inspired psalms,
- a popular, prosperous leader who commanded armies and ruled a nation,
- a brokenhearted sinner appalled by his own failures, and, eventually,
- an old man reflecting on his life and preparing to die.
Because David was a man after Godโs own heart, he kept turning back to God during every stage of his journey.
At the pinnacle of his success, David wanted to build a house for God, but instead God promised to build a different kind of house for him. The Lord told David, โYour house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established foreverโ (2 Samuel 7:16). God fulfilled this promise through the dynasty of kings that descended from David. Prosperous seasons when wise kings ruled were interspersed with stormy times of social turmoil and unrest, but through every stage of the journey, Godโs plan continued to unfold until in the fullness of time the Messiah was bornโJesus, the Son of David.
REMEMBER WHERE YOU ARE HEADED
Have we become so embroiled in our current problems that we forget where we are going? During the Israelitesโ journey through the wilderness, they camped for a while at inconsequential places like Mithkah and Hashmonah, but the Lord was moving them toward a land of milk and honey. David dreamed about building a centerpiece of worship for the Hebrews, but God had something far bigger in mindโa plan to bless people of all nations.
In the journey of life, God knows where you are camped and what your next campsite will be. The โtentsโ of our earthly bodies eventually will be replaced by โan eternal house in heaven, not built by human handsโ (2 Corinthians 5:1). As the song โAmazing Graceโ reminds us, Godโs grace has โbrought us safe thus far, and grace will lead us home.โ
Personal Challenge: On a piece of paper or in your spiritual journal, list every place you have lived, every school you have attended, and every job you have had over the course of your life. How do you see Godโs hand at work in the various stages of your journey?
Author: Christian Standard
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