Journey And Camp

Journey and Camp

It’s taken me years to figure it out: we’re an end-result, hunker-down people, and we follow a process-happy, move-it-along God.

I’ve thought countless times if I could just get to my destination, God and I could rest. We could make ourselves comfortable and stay put.

Fat chance.

My God is forever moving me. Out of complacency and into passion. Out of fear and into faith. Out of comfort and into unplanned adventure. I’m a nester he’s called to be a nomad. A homebody he keeps on coaxing out the front door. He moves me. He always has.

When the sons of Israel came out of Egypt led by Moses and Aaron, God commanded them to record their travels, which are capsulized in Numbers 33, from Egypt to the plains of Moab. They journeyed from one place, they camped in another, and then they journeyed and camped again. And again.

God was taking them somewhere and seemingly taking his own sweet time. But there were miracles large and small along the way and no doubt something to see at each journeying and camping place.

I could say the same. The glories and graces I’ve seen as I’ve journeyed and camped with my God could fill a book and then some—literally! Just when I think I’ve seen a good-enough place like Elim with twelve springs and seventy palm trees, just when I start to unpack and set up housekeeping, he says, “Let’s go on.” I’d stop and pull the covers up to my chin at the first cozy corner, but he’s got something else in mind. We’re moving.

I may be a good ways from home. But he’s here. He’s never called me to a place he’s not. My bag is not fully unpacked. This is just a campsite. There’s more journey ahead. And I’m learning that wherever he leads, I’d be crazy not to go.

Then they left Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness. They left Etham and turned back toward Pi-hahiroth, opposite Baal-zephon, and camped near Migdol. They left Pi-hahiroth and crossed the Red Sea into the wilderness beyond. Then they traveled for three days into the Etham wilderness and camped at Marah. They left Marah and camped at Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees. They left Elim and camped beside the Red Sea.

Numbers 33:6-10