Journey Through Life: Our Earthly Journey with Jesus Paralleled with Israel’s Wilderness Journey with God

By Randy A. Christianson

Father in heaven, through the Holy Spirit, You have faithfully kept Your promise and have carried us all the way through our journey of life with You. We owe all our life, love, obedience, and thanksgiving to You. In the glorious name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we pray, amen.

It was while reading the gospel of John that Randy Christianson first began to see parallels between Moses’ and Israel’s wilderness journey with God and our own journey in this world with Jesus.

Journey through Life is a volume of fifty-two devotions that explore the resemblances of Israel’s journey from slavery in Egypt to freedom (abundant life) in Canaan and our journey from slavery of sin to freedom (abundant life) in Christ.

Each devotion is divided into five sections that include a word or words whose meanings arise from a biblical perspective and end with a prayer and a verse of the week or day that summarizes the devotional.

Throughout his devotions, Christianson reminds those belonging to Christ and spiritual seekers that God is faithful and never forsakes those who are in Christ, despite our daily struggle with sin.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jul 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9781973691532

Randy A. Christianson

Randy A. Christianson is a devoted husband, father, grandfather, friend, and mentor who has led and taught Bible studies for over thirty years. When he is not writing Christ-centered devotionals, Randy enjoys spending time with his family and gardening.

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Unless noted otherwise, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®.

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ISBN: 978-1-9736-9152-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-9153-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020909145

WestBow Press rev. date: 7/30/2020

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Randy A. Christianson is a devoted husband, father, grandfather, friend, and mentor. From a young age, he has been interested in studying God’s Word. His mother told him that during worship services, he would have his eyes fixed on the pastor, intently listening and learning.

As an adult, he developed a passion for teaching others about God’s Word and how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He has led and taught Bible studies for over thirty years, all the while keeping notes from those studies. He uses those notes to write Christ-centered devotionals.

His simple writing style brings clarity and understanding to the reader.

Melissa W.

I found the parallels between the Exodus and the book of John intriguing. He seemed to follow the chronology of Exodus, finding the corollary or parallel in John’s gospel. Very interesting. Saw some ties I had not noticed before.

Pastor John K.

Future devotionals, the Lord willing, are these:

-God’s Plan of Salvation (Salvation from God Alone)

-The Christian Life (Abiding in Christ)

-Summary of the Law (Made New in Christ)

-Fruit of the Spirit (New Testament Fulfillment of Old Testament Ten Commandments)

-Old Covenant vs. New Covenant (Works vs. Grace)

-Christ’s Obedience in Your Heart (‘Free’ Will or Obedience to God’s Will)

-Isaiah (The Bible Consolidated into One Book)

Table of Contents

Introduction

List of Devotionals

Devotionals

Jacob’s Family in Egypt (Seventy Persons) and in the Exodus (Seventy Family Units Leaving Egypt)

Forty Camps Time Line

Afterwords

Introduction

While reading the book of John, I saw references to Moses’ and Israel’s wilderness journey from Egypt to Canaan and began to see parallels between their journey in the wilderness and our journey in the world. I came up with fifty-five parallels (and I am sure there are more), and narrowed them down to fifty-two, one devotional a week for a year. (If you prefer, this devotional booklet can also be used as a daily devotional.)

Each devotional is divided into five sections: Israel’s Wilderness Journey with God, Our Earthly Journey with Jesus, What about You?, Prayer, and Verse of the Week/Day. There are highlighted words in the verse(s) under the Israel’s Wilderness Journey with God and the What about You? sections. These show the parallels between what the Bible says about Israel’s journey and our journey.

Our Earthly Journey with Jesus is based on scripture from the gospel of John. Each devotional also has a word or words with the meaning arising from a biblical perspective under the section What about You? and ends with a prayer and a weekly/daily scripture that summarizes the devotional.

I pray you will be inspired!

List of Devotionals

Devotional 1

Israel’s Wilderness Journey with God (Slaves of Egypt)

The children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God. … God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged [answered] them. —Exodus 2:23–25

When the children of Israel first came to Egypt, they were given the land of Goshen, which was the best the world had to offer then. It had the best land, food, wealth, and ease of life. But it was not long before the Egyptians put them in bondage. After two hundred eighty years of slavery, the Israelites cried out to the LORD

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for deliverance. He heard their cries for help and remembered the promise He made to their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He planned to deliver them from their physical bondage as well as deliver them from their spiritual bondage, the slavery of sin.