Groundhog Day | Wayfarer

“At the Lord’s command Moses recorded the stages in their journey. This is their journey by stages…”
Numbers 33:2 (NIV)

We’re experiencing what is likely to be Summer’s final blast of heat here in Iowa. Yesterday afternoon Wendy and I were invited to our friends swimming pool to cool off and enjoy before autumn followed by winter irrevocably descends upon us. It was a glorious afternoon.

Of course, the conversation with friends eventually led to “So, what does your week hold?” The reality is that right now my life is in a pretty static daily rhythm that, to be honest, can easily feel like a rut. I spend an hour early each morning working on my book. Then I have my quiet time, meditate on a chapter-a-day, write this post, record the podcast. exercise, breakfast, work projects, marketing, networking, message prep for next Sunday, dinner, time with Wendy, and then to bed.

Rinse-and-repeat.

Do you ever wake up in the morning feeling like you’re in the movie Groundhog Day? Here we go again.

In today’s chapter, God commands Moses to record every stage of the Hebrews’ journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. Of late I’ve been listening to The Bible Project’s prodcasts on the Exodus as I walk. It’s been fascinating as they’ve unpacked that the Exodus theme is repeated over and over and over again throughout the Great Story

The road out of slavery.
The road in-between and through the wilderness.
The road in to the Promised Land.

The entire book of Numbers is about the road in-between and God commands Moses to record every stage of the journey and there are a lot of them. Only a very few stages that are listed have any detail provided. Most of them are simply that they went from one place and camped at another place.

Welcome to the life journey in which exceptional moments both high and low in which I experience the road out and the road in are connected with the long slog of the road in between. Every day I trek from Point A to Point B and sometimes it seems I’m not getting anywhere at all.

So why would God tell Moses to record it to be remembered forever?

Because every stage of the journey is an important part of the journey. Even the mundane days in which we simply move the ball forward are important. Jewish people read today’s chapter as liturgy. There are lessons to be learned in the daily disciplines of simply doing what needs to be done to get where God is leading.

Because God is present and faithful at every stage of the journey. It is easily forgotten that God is doing something novel in this Exodus journey. In those days a god was fixed to one location and had a temple they visited. Yahweh was literally dwelling with and traveling with His people on the journey. This was unique. No other gods did that. It is a reminder that I worship Jesus, Immanuel, which means “God with us.” He is present with me and in me on this mundane 21,689th day of my slog through the earthly wilderness. He is leading me to a Promised Land. My job is to follow every day.

Because we all need to look back from time to time. Glancing back, I can see how far I’ve come. I’m not where I was. I’ve progressed. I’ve grown. I’ve matured. Glancing back also reminds me of mistakes I don’t want to repeat, lessons I want to remember, and all of the ways God has blessed and faithfully provided.

In the quiet this morning I’m staring down a rather boring and mundane Monday. How about you?

Let’s lace ‘em up, my friend. This morning I’m reminded that we’re getting somewhere, even if it feels like Groundhog Day.

If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.

Promotional graphic for Tom Vander Well's Wayfarer blog and podcast, featuring icons of various podcast platforms with a photo of Tom Vander Well. — These chapter-a-day blog posts are also available via podcast on all major podcast platforms including Apple, Google, and Spotify! Simply go to your podcast platform and search for “Wayfarer Tom Vander Well.” If it’s not on your platform, please let me know!

Groundhog Day 2005 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania — (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Chapter-a-Day Psalm 48
[Note: I must have accidentally his “Save Draft” instead of “Publish” last week. So, I’m publishing this a week late. Today is two-for-one!]

For that is what God is like.
He is our God forever and ever,
and he will guide us until we die.
Psalm 48:14 (NLT)

The morning news programs are reminding me incessantly that today is All Hallows Eve, but I woke up this morning feeling like it was Groundhog’s Day. You may recall the cult comedy movie with Bill Murray who wakes up each morning in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania and relives the same day over and over and over again.

I woke up this morning in my hotel room. It’s the same hotel I’ve stayed in countless nights over the past several years. I’ve been here about once a month this year. My schedule each time I come is pretty much the same as the time before. So, when I woke up this morning I felt disoriented and a strangely powerful sense of Deja Vu. I’ve been here before. I’ve lived this same day before.

Sometimes our life journey seems like driving through a wasteland. The miles roll along but each time you look out the window the landscape seems pretty much the same. You begin to wonder if you’re moving at all, if you’re going anywhere. The alarm clock goes off in the morning and your spirit grumbles: “Here we go again. Another day pretty much like the day before, and the day before that, and the day before that.”

But the truth of the matter is that we are moving forward. Those miles are truly rolling along. I am reminded this morning that God is guiding me on this life journey. I am not in the same place I was 30 year ago, or 20 years ago, or even 10 years ago. God has faithfully led me to this point and He will faithfully lead me forward to the journey’s end. There is purpose, even in the monotony of “another day.” We just have to step back and take a look at the map to remind ourselves of how far we’ve come and where it is we’re headed.