Complaining doesn’t make hard tasks easier. Instead, it makes them more irritating. Asking, “Are we there yet?” every mile doesn’t make the journey go faster. 

Looking at a snake on a pole when you’ve been bitten by a fiery serpent sounds ridiculous until you see those who refuse to look dying on the spot. Bitterness wounds. Pride kills. 

The middle of the story may be a muddle. Muddle on. 

Sometimes you have to go the long way around to get where you’re going. 

Sometimes you feel like you cannot handle one more problem. This is usually when two more arrive. 

Redundancy was endless. It was not rewarding. Optimists were turning into pessimists. Realists were as unwelcome as the snakes. 

We have the perspective of distance from the hard times Israel faced in the wilderness as they took the long road home. We know the end of the journey is coming. We know Israel makes it safely, at last, into the Promised Land. 

They went from place to place and problem to problem with God’s daily provision and promise for someday. Sometimes that seemed so far away.

How far away does your goal lie today? 

Here is a simple lesson we can learn from forty years of wandering and waiting: Embrace the daily habits that lead you toward fulfilling God’s purpose for your life. Goals without new and healthy habits are seldom attained. Today’s redundancy makes possible a purposeful arrival.

What’s your best next step?

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I will take my best next step toward God’s purpose for my life.

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Our Father, here at the beginning of this new week, I pause and seek your direction. Empower me to live with purpose in every step (1 Corinthians 9:26). Bless me with healthy habits that produce a wholesome life. Deliver me from bitterness and complaint. Amen.