Where are you?

Deuteronomy 6 (NIV)

23 But he brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land he promised on oath to our ancestors. 

Looking back to the picture above, you probably asked yourself "Where is this place?" Let's make it more exciting..., imagine finding yourself at the place within the picture. Would your question then be "Where am I?" Now looking at the second picture below, I hope most of us can recognise the place. And we can now say,"Yes I know this place".

Christianity is somewhat the same. It is a journey through which we should frequently ask ourselves where we are. The Israelite Journey serves as a good example that can better help us understand our personal relationship with God.  As 1 Cor. 10:11 says, “Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” 

There have been times in my Christian walk where I have felt lost. It has not been until I took the time and checked my surroundings, that I've been able to see where I am with my walk with Jesus. I spend time with myself and evaluate my situation. I do this by asking questions such as "How far have I come?", "When and where do I arrive?", "How long should I / Will I stay at this place?", "How strong has my faith become?" "How well am I equipped for the journey ahead?", "Am I enjoying it or complaining alot? "what or who is my focus?"..And so on. 

Beginning in Egypt, the Israelites passed through various places and experienced different situations. The amazing time of the Passover, walking through the Red Sea, receiving the Law in the Sinai desert. Another amazing experience was crossing the Jordan River, not to mention many more memorable experiences such as God leading his people day and night by cloud and fire. Despite all this, the first generation of Israelites that left Egypt ended up in the desert. 

The second generation, most of them probably born along the journey, arrived at the promised land. They ended up getting the reward that God had promised their parents. All these situations show us how long the journey for the Israelites was from Egypt to Canaan. 

The Israelites probably never imagined how long a journey it would be when they left Egypt. All they knew was that they would arrive in a land with flowing milk and honey. I wonder what the Israelites would have said, if God had told them the length and the type of journey they would face after leaving Egypt. Would they have agreed to go? Would their story have been as exciting if they had passed via a different route to get to the promised land? 

As we explore the journey of the Israelites and relate it with our lives, it is always good to know that the journey that we started has a destination. At the same time, when we think of the destination, it is also good to know that there is a journey. There is no journey without a destination, and a destination without a journey. The secret is that God always tells us the destination but not how the journey looks like. It is always wise to check that we are on the right track to arrive to the destination safe. To stay on course, the secret is to know and trust the compass of God's Word and apply it in our journey of day-to-day life. 

Psalm 119:105 (NLT)
Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.