It takes time to get to where you’re going. Of course, the distance you have to travel has a lot to do with how long it will take to get there. When I was small, our family drove between New York and New Jersey regularly. We made this trip often because my father, who worked in construction in New York, spent much of his spare time building our family’s home in New Jersey. When we would “set our journey,” my mother would pack enough tuna fish sandwiches to feed an army.
The drive between our apartment in New York and our house in New Jersey took about two hours. And, mom’s tuna sandwiches made the journey, even if they were a bit soggy. (I would love to have one of those sandwiches today!) A few years later, we began driving between New York and Florida. Instead of a couple of hours, that trip took a couple of days. Our family enjoyed Florida so much that we ended up moving there.
Set our journey without tunnel vision
I’ve traveled a lot and moved a lot since then. And I’ve learned that every place and country has its own set of challenges. We tend to be myopic when it comes to our opinions. Naturally, we will see the world through the lenses of our cultures and experiences. Even for the well-traveled among us, it’s easy to have tunnel vision because our experiences shape us.
As the years pass and we go through difficult times, we can be tempted to stick to what is familiar. Why risk failure when we know how to handle what’s in front of us. The familiar is comfortable. We know how everything works, how to stay safe, and how to avoid pain. When I drive my daughter to school, I have a familiar route that I take. I don’t like to deviate from it because it suits me to go the same way. Today, as I drove home after dropping her off, there was a traffic jam along my normal route. Instead of insisting on my normal way home, I turned around and found another way. Sometimes familiar paths lead us to a dead stop. We need to have enough courage to find another way.
Set our journey but stuck in limbo
Israel, because of the stubbornness of the people, was stuck in limbo in the wilderness for 40 years. When the time finally came to move, God said:
"You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Turn and set your journey...See, I have placed the land before you; go in and possess..." Deuteronomy 1:6–8 ESV
For decades, the people had been waiting to get to their final destination. However, it seems from these verses that they needed encouragement to get moving. They were used to hanging around a familiar mountain. It was comfortable to say, “One day we will inherit.” At the same time, it was also comfortable to remain with what they were familiar with: the mountain.
A vision of “someday”
It’s easy to live with what is familiar. Think about it. At this juncture, Israel had free food offered to them daily (manna, although they complained about it). Their clothes and shoes weren’t wearing out, and God’s presence was with them constantly. Who would want to leave under those circumstances? Many live with a vision of “someday,” yet they cling to what makes them feel secure. It’s time to “turn and set your journey.”
Making changes is difficult. When Israel entered the land, their daily food provision ended, and they had to begin to work for their food. They had to make an effort to possess what God had promised them, and it wasn’t an easy process. There came a time, after much effort, when they were able to settle. They finally possessed the land as God had instructed them.
Set our journey when it isn’t comfortable
Every time God has moved our family or changed our situation, it has been difficult. There have been times when I wondered if we took a wrong turn. The struggles and pains we’ve faced have left their mark, and I’ve been tempted to hang around familiar mountains. There are times when God allows us to park for a while to regain our composure. But we shouldn’t expect to stay long enough to get comfortable. God’s always working in our lives; He doesn’t want us to stagnate. There will always be a time when He will challenge us and say, “Turn and set your journey.”
