Journaling the Journey: Lessons from the Travel Journal

"Now Moses wrote down the starting points of their journeys at the command of the LORD. And these are their journeys according to their starting points." - Numbers 33:2

This chapter caught my attention because it is a travel journal, written by Moses and commissioned by God.

If God commanded to write a diary of the journey of God's people, then it is necessary, and there is something to learn.

What can I learn from this chapter, where we repeatedly see these words: "they moved from," "they camped," "they departed from," "they journeyed from," and a long list of hard-to-remember place-names?

Of course, I cannot remember all these place names, but I can notice that during the entire journey, the Lord guided them, forgave them their sins, freed them from enemies and dangers, and took care of them.

Remembering all this prompts gratitude: when you remember what the Lord has done in your life, your heart is filled with thanksgiving. It also strengthens faith: when you see what miracles the Lord has done in the past, you believe that He will do them in the future. It also prompts caution: when you remember your past sins, you are careful not to repeat them again.

My gratitude journal, prayer journal, and scripture meditation journals are also travel journals that remind me of the progress of my spiritual journey.

From my diary,

March 19,   2024