TIME TO MOVE
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
The Lord went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night.
Exodus 13:21 NLT
TODAY’S THOUGHT
As I look at this passage, I think about the geographical area the children of Israel would have to travel through. It could be very hot in the daytime and very cold at night. To assist them with the heat of the day God gave them a cloud. To overcome the cold of the night God gave the pillar of fire. It was the first air-conditioned system. The cloud and fire were more than comfort, they also gave them direction. The children of Israel had been slaves for hundreds of years. It was hard to learn to think for themselves. So, God gave a real clear process of knowing when and where to go. Just follow the cloud. If the cloud moves, you move. If the cloud stops, you stop. I can imagine that someone had the responsibility to keep watch for the sign of the cloud moving. If the cloud would stop, they were set up their tents and camp site. But what if the cloud started to move in the middle of the night. Someone had to wake everyone up and tell them to pack up and get on the move. We learn later in the story there was organization in the order in which they traveled and the way they set up camp. It was an orderly process to move over two million people. Everyone was given a specific job to keep moving forward. It is important to have order when we are following the leading of the Holy Spirit. I do not believe God is a God of confusion. He has order in what He does. I also believe God has a time for us to move and a time to camp. We must be careful we don’t start enjoying the experience we had in one and decide to stay there when God has moved on. I’ve known of churches that refused to move from a building because that is where they experienced God forty years ago. They think that singing the same song will produce the same results they had ten years ago. God is always on the move. He is wanting us to grow and move forward towards our Promised Land of blessing and abundance in Him. We should be people that are always on the move in the spiritual realm. That doesn’t mean we are jumping from one church to another. It means we are committed to doing life together with other believers through the local church, but we are also seeking new ways to encounter God.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, please forgive me for not being willing to grow when You want me to experience something new in You. Holy Spirit help me to realize when it is time to move forward in my spiritual journey.
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