Landmark Location
There are certain places that I can go visit and it takes me back in time to another season of life. For example, I went to college at what is now Johnson University in Knoxville, Tennessee. When I go back to the campus to visit, there are multiple places there that stir up memories of activities or events that took place at that location over 30 years ago. A landmark is defined as “a location that serves as a guide to ships or travelers on a road; a distinguishing landscape feature marking a site or location”. I’ve had multiple landmarks in my life along the journey that speak to where I was spiritually at the time. There are landmarks from vacations past or family events along the way. There are other landmarks that remind me of bad decisions or unhealthy choices that I made at the time.
Abram and his entourage had just been to Egypt because of a great famine where he was living. When he left, he came back to what I would call a landmark. Check this out….
3 From the Negev, they continued traveling by stages toward Bethel, and they pitched their tents between Bethel and Ai, where they had camped before.4 This was the same place where Abram had built the altar, and there he worshiped the Lord again. (Genesis 13:3-4 NLT)
I see this landmark for Abram as a spiritual landmark location. He had been here before and had built an altar in worship to the Lord. When he came back through from a different direction, he worshipped the Lord again. He remembered being here before.
I think landmark locations can remind me of where I’ve been.
I think that I can also make new landmark locations even today.
I can go places in our town or community where I live and create landmark locations that form deep relationships with others. I can also go places where the Lord and I can have some deep soul searching as I enjoy the beautiful landscape or a sunset. These can be landmark locations along my journey, both spiritual and physical journey.
I think my big takeaway from Abram’s journey was that he repeated an act of worship and he was reminded of the fact that God is in charge of His journey and is leading him each step of the way. I need that reminder often from the Lord. He is leading my life. He is the Lord of my life. He holds me close as I walk with Him. He’s been doing that for years in multiple locations and times along my journey.
Pressing On!
Dwayne