He Has Been Preparing the Way from the First Day

"Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:" (Isaiah 46:10)

It's not just about focusing on Him.

It's about more than knowing that He has been from the beginning.

It's ALL about knowing that He is actively in the works, caring about every need in our lives.

This revelation has taken a long time for me to recognize. He has been busy, at work making everything ready for me on the way.

But it has taken me a long, long time to be prepared and receive these blessings from Him.

God does indeed declare the end from the beginning.

And He wants us to know His Son, Him who has been from the beginning, for that standing defines true Christian maturity, fatherhood before Him:

"I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning." (1 Jon 2:13)

He has been at work for us to receive a blessed, hopeful end:

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." (Jeremiah 29:11)

We are called not just to expect the best, but to become prisoners of hope, in that we cannot get away from the good things that God has planned for us:

"Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee;" (Zechariah 9:12)

I have often believed that I have to know where He is headed, or that I have to have some idea of where the next destination is.

But the Lord is my shepherd (Psalm 23:1), and as my shepherd He sees the way ahead of me. It makes no difference for me to know where I am going, if I do not trust that the Good Shepherd is taking care of me the whole way along the way:

"For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls." (1 Peter 2:25)

He is preparing the way, for Jesus is the Way, as well as the Truth and the Life (John 14:6)

He Doesn't Want Us to Know the Way, but His Son--The Way, the Truth, and the Life

"And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way." (Numbers 21:4)

Today, I was looking over this passage, and realized how easy it is for any of us to lose heart or hope when heading into new territory, unchartered waters, if you will.

It's really surprising that the Israelites felt the way they day, considering how the LORD was with them and helped them in the following ways:

1And when king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt in the south, heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies; then he fought against Israel, and took some of them prisoners. 2And Israel vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities. 3And the LORD hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities: and he called the name of the place Hormah." (Numbers 21: 1-3)

Notice that Israel, the very nation as one man, called upon God to deliver them, and God led them to a complete victory.

Yet the find that the journey was taking longer than expected, and they began to lose hear.

"Discouraged" in Hebrew is  קָצַר, which means "to be short" or "worn out"

Notice that they were not tired after wiping out one of their worst enemies.

They were tired because they saw the long journey ahead of them. 

They complained and murmured against God and His friend Moses, despite all the miracles which the LORD had fulfilled in their midst.

God retracted His protection when the complained, and fiery serpents began to strike at the people, poisoning them to their fatal hurt. Then the Israelites begged Moses to take away the serpents, yet God over-answered their prayer, not merely removing what had poisoned them, but directed Moses to provide a bronzed serpent for the Israelites to look upon. When they looked at the serpent, they were healed from their deadly bites.

We need to look at God Almighty, we need to see Jesus, for He is the Way that matters:

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up" (John 3:14)

and then

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6)

Let's not focus on the pathway before us, in that we shouldn't think about the time or troubles that may face us.

Let us focus on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of Faith (Hebrews 12:2), and let Him take care of us along the way in every way.