READ: LEVITICUS 23
The Lord said to Moses, “Give the Israelites instructions regarding the Lord’s appointed festivals, the days when all of you will be summoned to worship me.” (V. 1-2)
Astounding was the word that immediately came to mind upon learning that Painted Lady Butterfly’s made up a 9,000-migration journey during their 12-month lifetime. These fascinating insects are only 2-2.5 inches in length with an overall wingspan of 6 inches but are able to migrate from places around the Sahara Desert to countries bordering the Artic Circle. They stop in route to mate and lay eggs before arriving in their summer homes for just a few weeks of residence. Following their internal clock and guidance systems, they gather in large groups to begin their southern homeward journey. Ascending to great heights to find prevailing winds, they move along at 30 miles an hour and cover 100-300 miles each day to arrive home ending their generational journey and life cycle. It’s simply amazing how God has equipped these smallest of creatures to withstand and endure their arduous journey of life.
Our Christian generational journey is not marked by migration miles, but by years. It has been 3,200 years since the Lord, through Moses, delivered our faith ancestors out of Egypt and led them to Israel. Every second of this massive time frame has been sanctioned and put in motion by the Lord God. Nothing in our journey has happened by happenstance or luck. Absolutely everything that has transpired has been part of God’s plan for the children he has lovingly created and nurtured. He has used time, space, events and millions of people, famous and ordinary, to set our journey in perpetual transforming motion to this current day. Now like our ancestors, who took the first steps, we have an integral role in the journey being charged to keep it alive and well for current and future generations.
Instead of a natural biologic clock like the Painted Lady, we have an internal spiritual clock–the Holy Spirit which directs, leads and encourages us on our part of the Christian generational journey. However, like the early Israelites, it is incumbent upon us to remember and honor God for all he has done to get us to this point, and to faithfully seek His direction for the years ahead. Doing this puts us in the spiritual jet stream enabling us to make effective and efficient use of our time to achieve more for him than we ever thought possible.
PASUE FOR REFLECTION AND PRAYER
Don’t get so caught up in the journey that you lose sight of the one who made it all possible.
Dear God, we praise you, honor and glorify you now and may our devotion ring strong through all the generations to come.