There was a triumphant burst of progress. You felt like you finally were closing in on your promised land. Then it's seemed like pit stop after pit stop. Each time you've felt like it's bound to be around the corner, yet you're still plodding away at life en route to a promise that seems like it's fading. This week I read Numbers 33 with new eyes. There was a triumphant liberation after a MIRACLE occurred. Everyone was feeling pretty pumped up. What followed was a series of camping and leaving. As I read it God showed me people now experience this. If this is you, you're feeling like each new thing ends up being a new place to "camp", feeling tired of constantly moving on and never making it to that desired place. You may have even been seeing 33, 333, or 3333 recently. God wants to encourage you by reminding you that this is NOT UNUSUAL ON THE ROAD TO THE PROMISED LAND. “The Israelites set out from Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month, the day after the Passover. They marched out defiantly in full view of all the Egyptians, who were burying all their firstborn, whom the Lord had struck down among them; for the Lord had brought judgment on their gods. The Israelites left Rameses and camped at Sukkoth. They left Sukkoth and camped at Etham, on the edge of the desert. They left Etham, turned back to Pi Hahiroth, to the east of Baal Zephon, and camped near Migdol. They left Pi Hahiroth and passed through the sea into the desert, and when they had traveled for three days in the Desert of Etham, they camped at Marah. They left Marah and went to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there. They left Elim and camped by the Red Sea. They left the Red Sea and camped in the Desert of Sin. They left the Desert of Sin and camped at Dophkah. They left Dophkah and camped at Alush. They left Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink. They left Rephidim and camped in the Desert of Sinai. They left the Desert of Sinai and camped at Kibroth Hattaavah. They left Kibroth Hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth. They left Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah. They left Rithmah and camped at Rimmon Perez. They left Rimmon Perez and camped at Libnah. They left Libnah and camped at Rissah. They left Rissah and camped at Kehelathah. They left Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher. They left Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah. They left Haradah and camped at Makheloth. They left Makheloth and camped at Tahath. They left Tahath and camped at Terah. They left Terah and camped at Mithkah. They left Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah. They left Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth. They left Moseroth and camped at Bene Jaakan. They left Bene Jaakan and camped at Hor Haggidgad. They left Hor Haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah. They left Jotbathah and camped at Abronah. They left Abronah and camped at Ezion Geber. They left Ezion Geber and camped at Kadesh, in the Desert of Zin. They left Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the border of Edom.” Numbers 33:3-37 NIV Feel like you? Take heart! You're right on track. The word correlated with 3333 in Strong's Concordance is metakaleó and means "to call from one place to another". You are being called from one place (where you began) to another (your destiny). Not only is it natural on the way to the promised land to experience lots of shifts- shifts of people you're connected with, shifts of location, shifts of vocation, and more- but it's actually necessary. To go from one place to another there must be lots of movement! Often times this comes when we most just wish our world would stay still and stable. God loves you too much to let you lose that momentum. I also read "to call from one place to another" as a charge to call from the place you are on Earth to the heavenly plans for that place. Call God's heavenly plans to earth. It's no coincidence that in all these threes that the most famous 3's verse is "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." Jeremiah 33:3. He's inviting you to ask because He's ready to give you new information. It may not be everything you want to know, but it will put more of the pieces together. Earlier today the Lord showed me two mountains. Mountains make it more difficult or a longer process to get from one place to another. He said the first mountain represented circumstance. Circumstance - the root of the word- literally means "stand" (stance) "around" (circum). These are the conditions you perceive when you just stand around, frozen in fear or apathy, and take in the path ahead of you. Keep moving, and resist the urge to stand around and look at your obstacles, and this mountain will vanish. The second mountain represented mindset. This is your perspective on your situation. It IS possible to perceive/anticipate a problem, obstacle, or challenge where there ISN'T ONE. Some of you are battling problems of "what if" THAT DON'T YET EXIST AND MAY NEVER EXIST. Realizing this is going to bring JOY and LIBERATION to those who have been trapped in future worry. Finally hear this from the Lord: "My child, I see your journey completed in the same way as you see the Israelites' journey to the promised land as complete. I am standing at the other end of your journey calling to you- telling you the hints you're longing for! You WILL arrive because I have seen it happen. Don't let the amount of stops discourage you. Don't let your perception of how long you thought it should take and how long it's actually taken alter your confidence. The number of stops on the way doesn't change for a second your destination. Let Me refresh you. Let Me show you places in your mind in which you've made problems where there are none. Remember again the joy and adventure of the journey- before the weeds of worry choked it out. I miss that hopeful pilgrim in you. I know you're tired of always having the next project and constantly moving with what you perceive as no end in sight. You CAN do this because you already have! I will see you though to completion. One step at a time. Just keep moving."
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