Lately, God has been teaching me a very valuable lesson about this journey on earth that we are on, and about the purpose of the space in between where we were and where He is taking us. That space in between our starting place and our destination has great purpose. The blessing is not just found at the end of the road, we will find it waiting for us along every mile of the road, if we are willing to look for it.
It is true that in many ways there is great value in keeping our eyes on the destination, staying focussed on the finish line and the prize, so to speak. However, at the same time, we simply can’t let the journey pass us by without looking for the blessing along the way. If we do we will miss it, we will miss the prize altogether.
And what is that prize? The Presence of God. We were meant to dwell with Him. Mankind started out in His Presence in the garden. It was where God intended us to live for eternity. In His Presence. But we lost that in the fall. And ever since, the Eternal God has been moving heaven and earth to bring us back to where we belong. In His Presence. And all along the journey from the garden to the finish line at the end of time where we will once again dwell with Him, He has been breaking in, continually manifesting His Presence all along the way. Blessing us with His appearing in ways that are far too precious to miss--not the least of which was the appearing of His Son to bring us redemption and make it possible to dwell once again with our God.
The beautiful truth of the matter is that on every step of journey we can find the blessing, we can touch the finish line, because we have access to His Presence. We see this truth playing out in the lives of the children of Israel as they journey from their starting place, at their captivity in Egypt, to their finish line when they reach the promised land. All along the way the Presence of God breaks into their reality to bless them. The cloud by day, the fire by night, manna from heaven, the ark of the covenant, the shining face of Moses, God appears. He guides them with His Presence. He journeys with them. Marching along in their midst through every mile. It’s what He has created us for. To walk with Him in the cool of the day, just like in the garden at the beginning.
God hasn’t changed. His desire to bless us with His Presence will never fade. Whether we are at the beginning, the end, or somewhere along the way on the journey, our Father wants to show us His Glory. He wants to break into our world and leave us in awe at the wake of His love left behind in the passing of His Presence. All we need to do is to look for Him. To look for His appearing on the journey. To stay focussed on the finish line of His Presence, which is always with us, dwelling by our side.
“ . . . for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)
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