Journey + Destination
There’s a well-known quote attributed to 19th-century author Ralph Waldo Emerson, which says: “It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey.”
If Emerson were alive today, I wonder how he might apply that concept to the craze that is the Super Bowl? While February holds a number of special dates, for NFL fans around the world, the Super Bowl marks the conclusion of 21 weeks filled with highs, lows, and everything in between.
The reality is that if you follow a team that just isn’t cutting it, the journey can be a painful one. On the flip side, your team’s journey might be incredible, and yet the destination still not what you hoped for. The right team, an unstoppable journey, and the path to a preferred destination are never perfectly clear.
I’m grateful for the ways that God’s Word speaks into very human experiences like these. In Deuteronomy 30:19–20, the Lord says to His people:
“This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him. For the Lord is your life.”
Throughout Scripture, we find a constant promise: that God is with us in the highs, lows, and everything in between. As followers of Jesus, our journey is one of becoming more like Him, and our destination is to be with Him.
And sometimes, when circumstances make me wonder if I chose the wrong path somewhere along the way, I return to those words, “the Lord is your life.” He is my journey, and He is my destination. There is no possibility of missing Him, because He is both.
If you ever have similar moments of wondering, be encouraged today by these three things:
1. God is present in every step, not just at the destination.
Whether your season feels full of wins or losses, Scripture reminds us that God walks with us through it all. Listen for His voice along the way. He is always near.
2. A difficult season does not mean that you chose the wrong path.
Pain, disappointment, and unmet expectations are not signs that God has forgotten, rejected, or abandoned you. When we choose Him, we choose life. Pray for eyes to see how His love is meeting you again and again along the journey.
3. Our destination is a Person, not a result.
While we always want circumstances to be perfect, they never will be, and that’s ok because circumstances are not our life, the Lord is. So hold fast to Jesus rather than outcomes.
As a prayer today, take a moment to read these words from Dietrich Bonhoeffer:
“Look up, you whose gaze is fixed on this earth, who are spellbound by the little events and changes on the face of the earth. Look up, you who have turned away from heaven disappointed. Look up, you whose eyes are heavy with tears. Look up, you who, burdened with guilt, cannot lift your eyes. Look up—your redemption is drawing near. Something different from what you see daily will happen. Be aware, be watchful, wait just a short moment. Wait, and something quite new will break over you: God will come.” —Dietrich Bonhoeffer