I look forward to seeing them when I drive. They are on the highways or the Florida Turnpike, in every State of the Union and in most countries. They are little reminders along the path that I am closer to my destination. Every mile or every exit off the highway, I am that much closer to home—mile markers.
In ancient times, they were called “milestones.” The Romans built the most elaborate road system of the ancient civilizations. Some sections are still in use today. Take that, FDOT. Along those roads are milestones carved in Latin with the name of the current Caesar and distance to the next town or village. Why are they so important?
Milestones mark the next point on a path or a significant point reached on a journey. When the Hebrews crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land, a memorial was erected with twelve stones. Joshua chapter four records the event. “Let this be a sign among you, so that when your children ask later, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ then you shall say to them, ‘Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.’ So these stones shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel forever” (Josh. 4:6-7). These stones marked an important event in the path to the Promised Land and in the lives of those that were present that day. They were so important that they were instructed to teach their children of the event. Those twelve stones were a testament that God gave them access into the Promised Land—something that Joseph saw from a distance (Heb. 11:13, 22). When we look back on our lives, we can see milestones along the way. These milestones, when aligned with the word of God, are part of the life lived in faith. Each milestone prepares us for the next.
The Israelites were not ready to enter the Promised Land when they left Egypt. They had to go through the process of learning to trust in God before they could cross the Jordan with Joshua. The same is true for maturing in the faith. We must be preparing for crossing the Jordan into our promised rest. If our life is lived as a process of faith, then each moment prepares us for the next. So, when we come to the end we can say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, will award me on that day; and not only me, but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Tim. 4:7-8). We can meet death as another milestone along the path to our heavenly home.