Numbers 33:48-49, “They departed from the mountains of Abarim and camped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho. They camped by the Jordan, from Beth Jesimoth as far as the Abel Acacia Grove in the plains of Moab.”

Back in the day, when we used paper maps, they always fascinated me. Part of that is undoubtedly attached to my Boy Scout and Royal Ranger days. I remember having to pass tests by following the coordinates given to us to reach a specific location. I remember one particular occasion at a National Training event, where, as a leader myself, I overheard the staff talking before I got to them. One of them said, “Ronald won’t have a problem with this; he will get it right,” and then I failed to arrive at the correct destination. It hurt my feelings but mystified them. They knew I had years of experience doing this. When I failed, they reevaluated the coordinates and realized they had made a mistake. It made me feel better, but it was also a vivid reminder that having the correct coordinates is critical to getting to a desired destination.

As Christians, we are pilgrims on a journey, just as the Israelites were for 40 years. Numbers chapter 33 is like a map. It traces a portion of Israel’s 40-year wilderness journey from Egypt to the plains of Moab. While they stayed in some places longer than others, they were always on the move. They lived in tents that could be easily set up and taken down. For them, only one place was home: Canaan, the land God had promised them.

In some ways, this is what life is like for God’s people today. This world, as it is now, is not our home. As Christians, we know that when we die, our souls will be present with the Lord, and when He returns to reunite soul and resurrected body, we will live with Him in the new heaven and new earth. While we are grateful for the things of earth that God has given us to live on now, we do not hold them tightly. This is not our permanent home. We are pilgrims on a journey, and it’s vitally important that we follow the roadmap God has given us.