“These are the stages of the people of Israel. When they went out of the land of Egypt by their companies under the leadership of Moses and Aaron, Moses wrote down their starting places stage by stage by command of the Lord. And these are their stages according to their starting places.”
– Numbers 33:1–2
What I love about this chapter and Numbers 33:1–2, in particular, is the specificity. The details written down. Like here’s where the people started, here’s where they went next, here’s where they went next.
It is humbling to reflect upon how God has faithfully directed our steps. May God give us grace to trust Him for all our days.
God Directs Our Path in Life
By God’s command, here’s how He directed them. Here’s how He guided them. I just think about my life, just think about your life. And all the different stages, all the different places God has led me and you to and through. What God has done, how God has directed. I just sit back, I think about where God has led, how God has guided me, my family in ups and downs and twists and turns that I never would have chosen myself. Never could have imagined really. I think in my life, what direction have I taken that I could’ve imagined? None of it.
Encouragement to Look for God’s Faithfulness in Your Life
None of it. God has done it. He’s led and guided and God has been so good. Even when I have worked to thwart His plans. When I’ve not obeyed His word. He’s still been faithful. He’s still been good even when I’ve not been seeking Him. And he’s been leading me. I just want to encourage you even now in your life, maybe after this short podcast is over, just think back in your life and just see traces of God’s faithfulness in different stages of your life, at different times. And remember His goodness towards you with specificity.
Numbers 33:1–2: Praising God for Leading Us as the Good Shepheard
God we praise You. We praise You for your loving leadership of our lives. I think about Psalm 23, “You are our shepherd.” You lead us, You guide us. For your namesake, You’re so good to us oh God. You’re so good to us.
Left to ourselves we shudder to think of where we’d be right now. Left to myself I shudder to think of where I would be. Thank you oh God, thank you, thank you, thank you for loving me like you do. For leading me like you have, for guiding me like you have. And it’s not all been easy. God, it’s things that I never would’ve chosen. The hard days, the days with tears and struggles and days that I did choose that I shouldn’t have chosen in my sin. And yet in the middle of it all, You’ve been faithful.
Asking for God to Reveal the Goodness He has Shown Us Throughout Our Lives
In the middle of it all, You’ve been good. In the middle of it all, You’ve been loving through every stage, God you have been loving. And God, I just praise You for that. I pray for others as they think through and just all the stages You’ve led them through, led us through. God help us to see your goodness, even in the hardest of those stages, help us to see Your love. And in this, in looking back, give us greater faith and trust in You in the future we pray. Greater faith to know that you will be good. You will be loving, and You will lead and guide us for good. God I’m just compelled to just to lay my life in a fresh way down before You right now, today and just say, lead me in the days to come. I trust You.
You do what is best. But keep me from trying to work against you please oh God, please, please help me to walk in step with Your Spirit to experience all that You have for me and my family in life and work and in days to come. God, I pray this for me, for others, Lord help us. Help us as we look back to have greater confidence in You in the future and greater surrender to You for the future. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
