It’s been said, ‘It’s not about the destination, but about the journey.’
Your Journey: When our journey reveals pain or loneliness, abuse or rejection, grief or depression, it’s easy to wonder what destination is ahead. Hold that thought.
But what about God’s journey?
God created perfect people to be his friends. They chose someone else and God forced them out of a perfect garden into a barren world. Some of their children chose to follow God, others chose to do whatever they wanted, driving them silently into evil. Lesson Learned: If you do not choose God, by default Satan will step in and be your father.
After the first thousand years, only one man and his family chose God. It did not turn out well for those who mocked Noah for obeying God. “And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it makes me sorry that I have made them.” Genesis 6:6-7
During the second thousand years, God put laws into place to preserve, guard and protect his people. The laws seemed cumbersome and, therefore, God’s people ended up disobeying him time and time and time again. An entire generation ended up roaming around in the desert for 40 years while God led and taught a new generation to trust him. God gave them the Ten Commandments to summarize the laws of relationship with simplicity: the first 5 Commandments taught how to have a relationship with God and the last 5 Commandments taught how to have a relationship with people.
Then God gave them the Promised Land. After 40 years of learning to trust God, they didn’t. They were afraid. But Joshua and Caleb believed God and led the conquest of the land. In Joshua 24, Joshua highlighted God’s efforts and provisions for these stiff-necked people summing up with, “Now, therefore, fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the river…”
Ever since that day, God’s people have drifted from his laws.
God had a plan, a destination to draw people into his kingdom and fill them with joy and peace and prosperity. But God’s journey leading his people has been more than difficult. God has felt your pain, your loneliness, your abuse, your rejection, your grief, and your depression, in addition to our rejection of his love, the pain of his horrific death on the cross, and his sorrow, loneliness and grief for the absence of your fellowship, your friendship. Our minds cannot understand, or even imagine, the incredible destination God has for us. His commitment to us, to take on and forgive our sins and be our best friend, is unfathomable. Lesson Learned: Trust God. Hand him all your negatives and watch him work miracles in your life!
“See, I am sending an angel before you to protect you on your journey and lead you safely to the place I have prepared for you.” Exodus 23:20
See Also: Accept Christ