On this day in 1806 Lewis and Clark begin their return journey from the Pacific Coast.

Imagine setting out on a journey without a map, without any directions, and without knowing your final destination. That’s exactly what Meriwether Lewis and William Clark had to do when Thomas Jefferson commissioned the two to explore the newly purchased Louisiana Territory. Their mission? To discover an overland route to the Pacific Ocean, following the Missouri and Columbia rivers. When Lewis and Clark set out on May 14, 1804, it was the beginning of one of America’s greatest adventures.

More than a year later the expedition stood on the beaches of the Pacific Ocean near the mouth of the Columbia River. With winter soon to arrive, the expedition set up camp and waited for spring before setting out for home. So it was that on March 23 the expedition started back up the Columbia and headed homeward.

When Lewis and Clark started out, they didn’t know where they were going to end up. They didn’t know what they might encounter. They only had their mission and their supplies.

Thousands of years earlier, a man named Abraham faced a similar journey. He didn’t know exactly where he was going. He certainly didn’t have a map, and he didn’t know what he was going to encounter on his way. He only knew that God had told him to leave his homeland and go to a new land that God would show him. There, God would make Abraham the father of a great nation. Abraham trusted God and obediently went.

You may never have to explore uncharted land, like Lewis and Clark did. But God may lead you to unknown places, like Abraham, where you can serve him. That’s when you will need to respond like Abraham—with trust and obedience

Then the Lord told Abram, “Leave your country, your relatives, and your father’s house, and go to the land that I will show you” (Genesis 12:1).

To Do

Make a map of your life. Mark the place where God has you today. Include, if you can, where you think God will lead you in the future.

Also on this day . . .

1513—Ponce de Leon discovered Florida.

1775—Patrick Henry declared, “Give me liberty or give me death!”

1839—The expression “OK” [oll korrect] was first used—in Boston’s Morning Post.

1912—The Dixie Cup was invented.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005). Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation unless otherwise noted.