For the past 40 years it had become pretty routine, “whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle the people of Israel would set out” (Ex. 40:36). When the glory got up and got going, the people packed up the tabernacle in the wilderness and followed. When the cloud hovered, they set up camp, each tribe bedding down in their prescribed proximity to the tabernacle. When the cloud moved out again, they moved out again in the precise order of departure determined by the Lord (Numbers 2).

For 40 years, whether it was coming or going it was always the same — they could do it almost without thinking. For whatever journey the clouds departure brought, it too was the same old journey — another day doing laps in the wilderness. The scenery the same. The mileposts way too familiar. Lap after lap, year after year, day in and day out, the same old same old — pick up the manna, break camp, follow the ark, stop when the cloud stops, and set up camp. Yawn! We’ll do it again tomorrow.

That’s what came to mind as a result of noodling on an obscure verse in Joshua which popped off the page this morning. Heads up, says the Spirit, you’ve never been this way before.

Then Joshua rose early in the morning and they set out from Shittim. And they came to the Jordan, he and all the people of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over. At the end of three days the officers went through the camp and commanded the people, “As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it. Yet there shall be a distance between you and it, about 2,000 cubits in length. Do not come near it, in order that you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before.”

(Joshua 3:1-4 ESV)

Rise early as you’ve always risen early. Follow as you’ve always followed. But today, be careful to maintain an extra distance, for there’ll be no nose-to-butt, do-it-in-your-sleep, marching by rote stuff today. Hang back a half mile so that you’ll know the way to go, cause this ain’t just another lap around Sinai. I’m taking you down a new path today, and you have not passed this way before.

Huh! Something to chew on, me thinks.

For a guy who likes routine, I might just have to remember that following Jesus isn’t necessarily about finding my well-worn rut and mindlessly sticking to it. As a guy who likes repetition, I might be wise to remember that doing life as usual shouldn’t lead me to expect that I can “do Jesus” as usual. Because sometimes, you’re gonna be going down a path you’ve never been down before. Then, keying into the glory will be key. Keeping your distance in order to see His leading will be vital. Not presuming that Jesus is going to lead just as He’s always led, just smart thinking.

When you’ve never been this way before, routine’s out the window. Longing for the monotony of “been there, done that” is totally messed with. The illusion of self-sufficiency goes up in smoke. When you’ve never been this way before, you need to follow Jesus consciously, clearly, and completely dependent on Him to lead.

So, isn’t it another aspect of God’s goodness and grace when He takes us to places we’ve never been before — even places we’d rather not go? I’m thinkin’. For it’s on those unfamiliar paths where we can know Jesus like we’ve never known Him before. Aware of His presence in a way we may have not been aware of it for some time.

It’s on those unknown paths where we tend to re-focus on the reality that we real need to be following in the trail of glory. Where we’re aware of the need to ensure our eyes are fixed from a holy distance on our holy God. And we need to believe that on this never traveled path, we can know the way we should go because He knows the way we should go.

They were about to cross the Jordan, to enter into a battle to possess a land they had been promised. And on this day, they were to rise early, awake to the reality they were walking down a new road, and follow at a distance, making sure they didn’t take their eyes off the glory which led them.

Good counsel, I’m thinking, when you’ve never been this way before.

Yes?

By His grace. For His glory.