The best parts of the drive to the Feast of Tabernacles are the beginning and the end. When the packing is done, we’ve locked the doors, and we’ve just left the driveway, we’re brimming with excitement to be on our way. And when the drive is over, we can’t get out of that car fast enough. Our minds are alive with the fact that we made it. We’re deeply thankful that we took the trip, but even more thankful that it’s finished and it ended where we hoped it would: somewhere God has placed His name and made ready for us to enjoy with our brethren.
There are many parallels between the physical journey to the Feast and our spiritual journey to the Kingdom of God. When we start, we’re excited—we can’t wait to get going, to make progress, to move forward. And we can’t even fathom the joy and gratitude we’ll experience when our trip finally ends and we’re reborn, given God’s name, and made ready to enjoy eternity in His Family.
But while the trip is underway, difficulties arise. Roads aren’t always smooth, and other drivers don’t always drive well—and, honestly, neither do we. Sometimes, the road can seem excessively long. And what if there’s also heavy rain, a flat tire, or even an accident? Problems like these can tempt us to wonder if God is actually all that interested in getting us to the Feast. But as we keep in mind that His will is for us to be there, we keep driving however we can—and we inevitably find that He clears the path. Once we arrive at the Feast, we may even be able to uplift others with stories of trials we overcame, with His help, on the way there.
One lesson from the drive is that, if we’re going to endure its hazards, we need to grasp how committed God is to finishing it with us. He reveals our problems and sins to us not to convince us that we’ll never make it, but to lovingly show just how much we can overcome with His Spirit to empower us. The Bride of Christ will have many stories to tell during her Husband’s Millennial reign, as she comforts, uplifts, and even entertains her students. Giving us the Kingdom is our Father’s pleasure, not His burden (Luke 12:32)—and the more deeply we understand that, the more motivated we’ll be to continue the journey.
And we need that motivation because, as we travel, we encounter countless billboards for restaurants, shopping malls, and other tourist traps that try to distract us from driving. It’s not that we can’t enjoy our trip—snacks, music, conversation with our fellow travelers, the occasional rest stop, and other mid-drive delights can help us stay energized at the wheel.
But this is where self-examination comes in: Are we simply enjoying a source of rejuvenation on our journey, or are we taking our eyes off the goal? “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). God certainly never intended our routes to be dull and joyless—but using more mileage on detours than on reaching our destination may result in a wasted trip.
For those with God’s Spirit, human life is meant to be spent in constant anticipation of eternal life in His Kingdom, just as our journey to the Feast is spent looking forward to arriving there. The drive isn’t always fun, but if we deeply believe that God is with us in every mile and bringing us ever closer to a beautiful destination, we’ll keep our eyes on the road and our foot on the gas. Let’s keep driving—we’re almost there.