Numbers 33 is, essentially, an abbreviated version of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers, a simple list of the movements of the Israelites from their deliverance from Egypt and to the point they are at now, at the cusp of entering the Promised Land. It may be a simple list, but to me, it stood out today because it kind of reminded me of what I am doing right now, recording my own odyssey through God’s Word.
It may not be a journey through the desert, but Moses, directed by God, was recording the history of the exodus, recording not only their physical journey, but also their spiritual progress. This odyssey, too, is like that. Every day, I’m recording my thoughts on what I am reading, tracking my own spiritual growth. The lessons I am learning should help me as I grow in God.
I think of another daily routine I do as a youth group leader – Quiet Time. It’s something I always struggled to do. Getting into the routine was the hardest part. The work itself was great, and was enjoyable, but “finding the time,” I felt, was always difficult. Maybe I thought I was”too busy.” Most of the time, I probably thought I had something else better to do. Speaking personally, and maybe this is just because I’m a writer by trade and by hobby, but recording my thoughts every day, especially in the context of “Adam’s Odyssey,” has helped me learn some tough, and unavoidable, lessons.
Perhaps, Moses’ record of his people’s journey was similar to this. Maybe he looked back on it from time to time to see where they came from, the mistakes they made and the lessons they learned so as to avoid problems in the future. Isn’t that point of keeping a daily Quiet Time, or even spending time in God’s Word in general? The Bible is our handbook for life. We should be in it every day, learning its lessons and growing closer to God. For me, keeping a written record of what I have learned helps me grow in my walk. And who knows? Maybe the passage I read will glean something totally different from what someone else could take from the same verses. And that’s the beauty of the Bible. Depending on who you are, lessons learned can vary greatly, but they are all valid lessons of God.
Starting my own “Odyssey,” I knew I was in for a ride, but even after a measly 56 days, I find myself immersed in God. I’m not even four books in yet, and I feel like I am learning like I have never learned before. And I still have 309 days left! If you are looking for a way to get back into God’s Word on a daily basis, I encourage you to start keeping a daily Quiet Time. You don’t have to “blog the Bible” or read through it in a year like I’m doing, but even simple reading and recording of your thoughts is a great way to rediscover what God has planned for you in your own life.
Who knows, you may stumble onto your own odyssey!
Favorite Verse of the Day: Num 33: 51-53 – “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, 52 drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places. Take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess.”
Did You Know? The judgment of Canaan spoken of in Num. 33 is fulfilling a prophecy made in Gen. 9:25 - “He said,
‘Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers.’”
My journey through Numbers ends tomorrow! Then it’s on to Deuteronomy! Until tomorrow, here’s hoping you can spend daily time with God, and discover your own odyssey!
