As we approach the middle of 2024 and reflect back on this year, what do we see?

This week that has been the theme of my life – reflection – on where God has taken me, where I am going, and how on earth does He intend to get me there? And also – are we there yet?

Admittedly, this stage has been rough for me. There’s times when I feel like a fog is over me and I don’t know where I’m going. We’ve all been there – in places where we only see God holding a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. But as brother reminded me this past week, a lamp only lights a small portion of our path and each day we come to God for Him to light the next step forward. This week’s reflection in Numbers 33 may feel like a list of places that we don’t understand the names, maybe we cannot even pronounce them, and we cannot relate to their journey or their stages because we didn’t walk it ourselves. But I would encourage us all to read Numbers 33 in the light of how the Israelites reflected. In ancient times, not everyone had a bible app on their phone or even a widespread home bible. They had to go to church to hear the bible read aloud. That’s how it is intended truthfully – to be read aloud, heard, and absorbed.

“At the Lord’s command Moses recorded the stages in their journey. This is their journey by stages:

The Israelites set out from Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month, the day after Passover. They marched out boldly in full view of the Egyptians, who were burying all their firstborn, whom the Lord had struck down among them; for the Lord had brought judgement on their gods.

The Israelites left Rameses and camped at Succoth. They left Succoth and camped at Etham, on the edge of the desert. They left Theam, turend back to Pi Hahiroth, to the east of Baal Zephon, and camped near Migdol…”

Numbers 33:2-7

And with that intent, God lovingly here in this chapter – which was written by Moses – gives us a glimpse on the Israelites journey to the promised land so far. When we read it, do we see ourselves and our own journeys? Can we find and trace God’s hand over the map our lives and where He is leading us?

This isn’t a pop quiz thankfully! But when we sit with the questions that the text draws out of us, we recognize our own journeys and stages. I think in my journey over the last few years, I can trace God’s hand so beautifully over His map of my life. I didn’t always love every stage but each stage served a purpose to push me forward into God’s will for my life. Some stages I could’ve lived in forever and some I look back and wish I could erase. But they all have brought me to the woman that I am today.

Do we ever feel that way when we trace back the stages of our life? There are stages we gloss over and hope people don’t see. There are stages we boast about, hoping to be seen and heard for the change we feel God has made within us. And so as we reflect together on all God has faithfully done, do we see where God is going next and are we going with him? Are we taking his hand and walking faithfully or is He dragging us behind Him? It’s important for us to know what God is doing.

This chapter came to light for me because one of my friends and I were talking about our journeys this past week and the growth we had seen within each other. It’s a warm blanket of love when someone sees growth that we sometimes can’t see or we fail to see. But in that, our friends remind us of God’s love even when it feels like we are grasping air to hold onto it.

Hopefully as you read the chapter, you saw how important it is to be reminded of the stages of our lives and what God has done. It’s not for God – but for us – we consistently need to be reminded because often during hard stages we forget that God is so incredibly and wonderfully faithful and his love endures forever. My tiny bit of homework and encouragement to you is to write down the stages of your life and where God has taken you and how faithful He’s truly been. It’ll point you to what stage is next.

For me, I hope the next stage is being a writer. For you, I hope it’s the stage you’ve been praying for and that God will open that door for you. God opens doors that no man can shut.