"Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would go onward in all their journeys. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the Lord was above the tabernacle by day, and fire was over it by night, in sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys."
Exodus 40:36-38 (NKJV)
In the Old Testament we find many great stories about God dealing with and helping His people. There are many examples of spiritual truth in these stories. One great example is how God led His people through the wilderness. God brought them out of their bondage in Egypt to lead them into the place He had planned for them. God did not just deliver them and then tell them to figure out how to get where they needed to go. God gave Israel a means of continual guidance throughout their journeys, the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night.
The story of how Israel was led by the pillar of cloud and fire shows how God directed His people to know when to move and when not to move. This is a problem for many Christians. We sometimes think we need to constantly be in motion and moving forward by doing, doing, doing. But there will be times that God leads us to a certain place spiritually or even geographically and we need to stay in this place for some time. We may feel like the scenery, spiritually or geographically, is too boring but unless God is leading us on we should not go further.
Another good example of this is found in the life of Jesus, He only did what His Father directed Him to do (John 5:19). Jesus was not just doing something to keep busy, Jesus was divinely directed by God in everything that He did and even didn't do; this is a good pattern for us to emulate. Sometimes it is better for us to stay where we are, doing what we are doing, for a time. If we are always in a rush to move on to the next thing to do we might miss something that God has for us right where we are! We need to follow the direction that the Holy Spirit gives us for every area of our lives; when He wants us to move, we follow; when He wants us to stay where we, are we stay.
Exodus 40:36-38 (NKJV)
In the Old Testament we find many great stories about God dealing with and helping His people. There are many examples of spiritual truth in these stories. One great example is how God led His people through the wilderness. God brought them out of their bondage in Egypt to lead them into the place He had planned for them. God did not just deliver them and then tell them to figure out how to get where they needed to go. God gave Israel a means of continual guidance throughout their journeys, the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night.
The story of how Israel was led by the pillar of cloud and fire shows how God directed His people to know when to move and when not to move. This is a problem for many Christians. We sometimes think we need to constantly be in motion and moving forward by doing, doing, doing. But there will be times that God leads us to a certain place spiritually or even geographically and we need to stay in this place for some time. We may feel like the scenery, spiritually or geographically, is too boring but unless God is leading us on we should not go further.
Another good example of this is found in the life of Jesus, He only did what His Father directed Him to do (John 5:19). Jesus was not just doing something to keep busy, Jesus was divinely directed by God in everything that He did and even didn't do; this is a good pattern for us to emulate. Sometimes it is better for us to stay where we are, doing what we are doing, for a time. If we are always in a rush to move on to the next thing to do we might miss something that God has for us right where we are! We need to follow the direction that the Holy Spirit gives us for every area of our lives; when He wants us to move, we follow; when He wants us to stay where we, are we stay.
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