Finding a Place to Land

“The Lord your God, who goes before you, is the one who will fight for you,

just as he acted with you before your very eyes in Egypt, as well as in the wilderness, where you saw how the Lord, your God, carried you, as one carries his own child, all along your journey until you arrived at this place.

Despite this, you would not trust the Lord, your God, who journeys before you to find you a place to camp—by night in the fire, and by day in the cloud, to show you the way to go.” Deuteronomy 1:30

After a long day’s drive, we arrived late in the night at the Grand Canyon campground. The park was full and there was no place for us to camp. At first, my friend and I were frustrated, but after searching outside the camp, we found a place in a wilderness area.  Struggling to put our tent together in the dark, I realized how unprepared I was for this journey. For the next few hours, I wrestled with feelings of anger at myself for poor planning. However, once I laid down in my sleeping bag, I looked up through the mesh of the top of tent, and the stars were shining bright. I realized that in spite of all the poor planning, God had perfectly led me to a place to camp. Best of all, it was free! I learned a valuable lesson that night; God will always make a way for me, and find a place for me to camp.

The Lord provided places for Israel to camp in the wilderness by guiding them with a fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day to show them the way to go. Sometimes it was difficult for them to believe that God would find them a place to camp because all they had known for over 400 years was a mindset of slavery and oppression. When you think like a slave, it is difficult to anticipate God’s guidance and direction in daily life.

We too, need to continually remember how the Lord has fought for us in the past and carried us out of a place of uncertainty into a new landing place of abundance.

We too, fail to trust in the Lord when we lose heart and our journey seems hopeless. We need to remember all the times that God carried us through a place of difficulty and despair, landing us in a new place of opportunity. Just as God promised to help Israel find a place to camp, he promises to help us find a place to land and start anew. Our part is to remember God’s faithfulness and look for the pillars of cloud and the fire by night when God’s leading will become clearer.

The Lord will fight for you just as he has before. He will carry you until you arrive in a new place. Remember, you are his child and he will always find a place to camp for you.

Prayer

Father God, forgive me for the times that I have given way to a heart of despair. Forgive me for forgetting all the times you carried me and found a place for me to land and camp. Spirit, wash me and cleanse me so that I can see the pillar of cloud by day and the fire by night.

Jesus, I thank you for going before me in this journey of life and dying on the cross for my sin. Thank you for making a way for me, so that I can always enter your rest and be secure in your love.

I thank you that you will go before me and create a place for me. I put my trust in you to fight for me and carry me into a new place where I can be at ease. Give me eyes to see and ears to hear so that I can recognize the new place you are leading me to camp.

In Jesus Name, Amen.