Numbers 33:1
“These are the journeys of the children of Israel, which went forth out of the land of Egypt with their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron.”
I was reading the journeyings of the children of Israel, when the Holy Spirit reminded me of an important truth. I was reminded of Exodus 13:21-22 which says, “And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.”
What is so important to remember about these verses in Exodus is that everywhere Israel’s journeys were recorded in Numbers, it was God Who led them there. In other words, when they went to the bitter waters of Marah, God was still there, and He led them there. When they came to the wilderness of Sin where they had no food to eat, it was God Who led them there, and He was still with them. When they came to Horeb, a place where there was no water, God led them there, and He was still with them. Every place Israel went, whether times were good or bad, God was the One Who led them there, and He never forsook them.
Christian, you are going to have to realize that God divinely plans your journeys in life. Just like God led Israel to each of these places, God has already planned your life. You are going to have to trust the providence and omniscience of an almighty God that He knows what He is doing in your life. You may not understand the place of life where He has brought you, but He has divinely planned this in the journeys of your life.
Moreover, every place God leads won’t always be pleasant. Yes, we want the “twelve fountains of water, and threescore and ten palm trees” of Elim, but He won’t always lead you to those places. There are going to be times when He leads you to the bitter waters of Marah or the dry times of Horeb, but if He leads you there, you are being led by the hand of God. My friend, God’s divinely planned journeys of your life won’t always be pleasant, but that doesn’t mean that God hasn’t planned it.
Furthermore, God is still with you when you reach those unpleasant parts of your journeys. The pillars of cloud and fire didn’t leave when they came to Marah or Horeb, which means God was still guiding them, and He was still with them. If God led you to those unpleasant times of life, let me assure you that He is still with you. God promises in Hebrews 13:5, “…I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” God’s Word has not changed, nor has His presence left you because you are in the unpleasant part of your journey. The God Who was with you when you were in Elim is still with you when you come to your Marah.
Let me encourage you not to despair when you are in the Marah or Horeb of your life. Realize that God has divinely planned your journey, and He has a purpose for those dry and bitter times of life. You may not enjoy those times, but you can always be assured that God has planned them. If God planned them and guided you to them, He will take you through them and make you a better person. Let me encourage you to keep going; Marah and Horeb will turn into a blessing if you keep trusting the LORD.