Before this brief post goes live, Diane and I will have already watched our Saturday morning sunrise through the little windows lining the sides of a Boeing 777. We’ll be about 30,000 feet above the Atlantic Ocean on our way to London, the second stop on our lengthy journey to Israel, or as we often think of it, “God’s special homeland”. As our journey gets underway, we’re singing in our hearts along with the Psalmist through whom God delivered this bit of encouragement:
Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
Whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. Psalm 84:5
More than a Milestone ~
Our hearts have certainly been ‘set’ on this pilgrimage for a long time now, and many special blessings have attended our preparation for this journey before it even began. For Diane and me, this trip isn’t so much a milestone on our journey as flawed followers of Jesus, as it is a capstone. It’s a kind of pinnacle topping a lifetime of undeserved blessing and gracious provision. We can’t think about it without realizing that He brought us
through more than rough patches in the road. He brought us through times when the road ahead looked like it had been washed out completely. There were times when the feeling expressed in that Broadway musical, “Stop the World, I Want to Get Off”, felt like our personal testimony, but He didn’t abandon us. Somehow, God sustained us through those hard days when the kind of joy, profound gratitude, and deep sense of shalom we’re feeling now would have seemed absolutely impossible. So, we don’t see this journey as a vacation, or a spiritual break from the routines of normal life. This isn’t some kind of religious conference in a unique historical setting. For us, this is another demonstration of the kinds of incredible blessings that can be lying ahead for those who choose to follow the One who called all of us to do just that.
And thinking of journeys, it’s rather obvious that they’re one of God’s favorite mechanisms to teach us lessons we need to know when it comes to serving Him. One of His lessons had to do with the importance of preparation, and at least one facet of that lesson was on display in the wilderness journeys of God’s people after their exodus from bondage in Egypt. Obviously for Diane and me, as well, preparation had been a high priority for a while, and one of our objectives is to make it back home without either of us having to throw up our hands and exclaim, “Oh, no! We forgot to pack the _____!!”
An Itinerary Makes it Easier ~
The thing that made it easier for us was that at least we knew where we’d be going, many 
of the stops we would make along the way, and when we’d be returning. We had weather reports to tell us what kinds of clothes to wear. We knew what kinds of terrain we’d be expected to traverse and what kinds of shoes we’d need to wear.. We knew when we’d be eating, where we’d be sleeping, and how we’d be getting from one place to another.
The multitude of former slaves following Moses out of Egypt knew next to nothing about most of those things, but they were expected to be ready to move out on command anyway. Here’s what they had as a set of instructions to use in preparing for upcoming travel plans:
At the command of the Lord the children of Israel would journey, and at the command of the Lord they would camp; as long as the cloud stayed above the tabernacle they remained encamped. (Numbers 9:18 NKJV)
Whether it was two days, a month, or a year that the cloud remained above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would remain encamped and not journey; but when it was taken up, they would journey. (Numbers 9: 22 NKJV)
Here are just a few of the many lessons we could learn from God on that journey that Moses led to the Holy Land:
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- He has a destination in mind for us and a purpose to fulfill along the way. To accomplish what He wants to accomplish with us, in us, through us, and for us, God needs to be the One who directs where we go, when we go, and how long we stay.
- We won’t always have time or the resources to pack supplies we see as indispensable, and sometimes that’s part of the lesson. Sometimes God wants to demonstrate that He can provide whatever we need for the journey, or that He can sustain us without it.
- God wants our awareness of His presence to be the primary consideration guiding our travel plans. Our movements are to be determined by the indicators of His presence, not by our collection of travel brochures and preferred destinations.
Jesus Was Also a Travel Initiator ~
But we can’t leave even a brief discussion like this without acknowledging that Jesus initiated some travel plans for His followers, as well. He sent out delegations on at least
two occasions. In one instance He dispersed His core group of 12 disciples to surrounding towns and cities and instructed them to engage in the same kinds of ministries that they witnessed Him doing on a regular basis. But in this case the usual kinds of travel plans were not allowed. Here’s how Matthew recorded Jesus’ instructions. He said:
And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food. (Matthew 10:6–10 NKJV)
Whether we stop to consider it or not, all of us flawed followers of Jesus have been dispatched on a journey, as well. It may include stops to some exciting and exotic places, and it may also involve some harsh and painful interludes in places we wish we’d never seen. But ultimately, like those He sent out from Galilee long ago, the journey always leads back to Him.
The Power Works in Any Setting ~
So, whether, like Diane and me, you’re on your way to a place with treasures of truth just waiting to be discovered, or just heading into a beautiful Spring weekend, our mission is the same. The power Jesus placed in us will work in any setting. When we display that love i
s not for sale, when we show that forgiveness is a gift and not a bargaining tool, and when we live out righteousness that isn’t defined by political pollsters, then broken lives will be made whole. When we practice Jesus’ teaching and extend the grace He offers, addicts will find freedom, and dead relationships will come back to life. The joy in the journey for followers of Jesus isn’t in the scenery surrounding us, or our mode of transportation, or the sites we get to see.. It’s in the One accompanying us and the miracles He works along the way.
If you’d like to see more of that, here’s some really good news. The journey isn’t over yet. The adventure of traveling with Jesus is waiting for us every day, and wherever we are, there’s someone nearby who’s waiting to hear something from you that could change their life.
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At this point, we’re not quite sure what our next post will be like, but don’t bail out on us! In the midst of what’s sure to be a ‘crazy, busy’ schedule as we’re drinking from God’s overflowing ‘firehose’ that will pour into us via an incredibly committed and gifted teaching duo, we’ll attempt to be back next Saturday one way or another! Meanwhile, please pray that the living God will guide every step of our trip and pour more into us than we could ever contain – and that He will keep us safe in the process.
“TWEETABLES” ~ Click to tweet and share from the pull quotes below. Each one links directly back to this article through Twitter . . .
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- He has a destination in mind for us and a purpose to fulfill along the way. To accomplish what He wants to accomplish with us, in us, through us, and for us, God needs to be the One who directs where we go, when we go, and how long we stay. @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet)
- We won’t always have time or resources to pack supplies we see as indispensable, and sometimes that’s part of the lesson. Sometimes God wants to demonstrate that He can provide whatever we need for the journey – or that He can sustain us without it. @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet)
- God wants our awareness of His presence to be the primary consideration guiding our travel plans. Our movements are to be determined by the indicators of His presence, not by our collection of travel brochures and preferred destinations. @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet)
- The power Jesus put in us works in any setting. Displaying love that isn’t for sale; showing that forgiveness is a gift, not a bargaining tool; living out righteousness not defined by political pollsters – that can make broken lives whole again. @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet) https://ctt.ec/adcn2
Check out Ron’s book, “Right Side Up Thinking in an Upside Down World ~ Looking at the World through the Lens of Biblical Truth” 
Gallagher's Pen ~ 