Journey Series- Faithfully

Maybe you remember the Journey song, "Faithfully" from your high school days, like I do. It was one of those songs some people slowed danced to. Actually, no one really danced--they just kind of stood there, right?

We used this song as a starter for part 1 of our series called Journey: Where Are You Going? As we explore our spiritual life journey, we see some important elements arise for us.

First, we have to look at the life of Moses. God asked Moses to join Him on Mt. Sinai. There Moses receives the 10 Commandments. He comes down the mountain and the people are worshiping a golden calf. After a rebuke and a time of repentance, the people of God are ready to journey towards the Promise Land. God lays it all out for Moses, but tells him that He won't go because they "have sinned and they are stiff necked."

Moses replies by saying, "If I have found favor with you, then go with us." To which God says, "My presence will go with you. I'll see the journey to the end" (Ex. 33:14, Message).

I find great assurance and rest in this verse. Every time we go to God, whether we have made a mistake or not, once we have repented, He will see us through our life's journey. That's why Scripture states, "The steps of the righteous are ordered by the Lord" (Ps. 37:23). He will never leave you, nor forsake you.

The suffix "fully" means "full of." So faith-fully is literally "full of faith." God is faithful and unchanging. He will do His part. But we are prone to wonder and have our ups and downs spiritually. So we must do everything possible to develop our faith in the Lord and be found faithful.

In Numbers 33:1-50, Scripture records the different stages the Israelites had to journey through in order to reach the promise land. Depending on how you count, there are 41 or 43 different stages in their journey. Here are my take-a-ways from that passage:

1. God wanted the different stages written down showing how important it is to journal through the journey.

2. God didn't tell the Israelites the entire journey up front because they would have become overwhelmed at the length and the difficulties related to such a journey.

3. God speaks to them one stage at a time making it simple for them to be faithful. Verse 5 says, "The Israelites left Ramses and camped at Succoth."

I believe God is telling you to be faithful right where you are now. Don't worry about the entire journey or all the possible problems. Everyone wants to do something big for God and sometimes wait until something big comes along. God is simply saying, "Leave Ramses and go to Succoth." Be faithful in the little and don't despise small beginnings. You never know what God is building in you for the future.