My dad believed in both kinds of music: country and western. I have early memories of Johnny Cash on an eight-track player. He told stories through his songs. It seems Johnny has made a posthumous comeback of sorts. I heard one of my nephews singing “Ring of Fire” at a family gathering. Recently I heard and remembered his tune, “I’ve been everywhere, man . . .” where he lists all the places he has been. The song mirrors our text for today.
The Israelites set out from Egypt and stopped in many places on their way to the promised land. They moved over forty times in forty years. Of course, the place names may not mean much to us, but each of them held some memory for the Israelites. In one place God provided manna and in another water. At some of these places, Israel left God, but he never left them. One way to tell the story of the Israelites is simply to list all of the places to which God took them, remembering that he accompanied them on the journey. God remained faithful, even when Israel did not.
From time to time, I look back and remember all the places my family lived when I was growing up right up to the present. Amarillo, Anchorage, Fort Walton Beach, Rolla, Cahokia, Schrollbach, Ramstein, Morningside, Gross Gerau, Langen Terrace, Great Falls, Waukegan, Waco, Mart, Cedar Park, Katy, Houston. I too, have been lots of places, but not everywhere. My memory is filled with things that happened in each of those places. The good news is our God goes before us and promises never to leave us. God is everywhere we go. He precedes us, goes before and behind, covers us with his new mercies, provides what we need and forgives us when we fail. God remains faithful, even when we are not. Aren’t we grateful? We should be grateful.
