The presence of the pillar of cloud and fire that guided the Israelites through the desert is an intriguing and poignant aspect of the story of Israel’s journey to the promised land. First of all it is the direct fulfilment of what God promised in response to the prayer of Moses: “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here” (Exodus 33:15). If God did this for his people then, he will surely also do this for us now. This is precisely the purpose of Christ’s sacrifice: to give us access to God’s presence. Why then does God often seem absent to us? We should be careful not to put too much stock in our feelings here, but we must nevertheless consider the following possibility: it may be that God moved and you did not follow. Just as the Israelites had to follow the pillar of cloud and fire, so we must follow the leading of God’s Spirit within us as he guides us in accordance with his word. If God is not with you, it may be because you didn’t go with him. Perhaps you stayed when he went, or went when he stayed. But it is never too late to get back in step. God will be with you if you want to be with him. The sacrifice of Christ guarantees us access to God. If you have turned away from him, he will accept you back. However, living with God does not mean that he follows you. He calls you to follow him. Are you willing to follow wherever he leads you?
Lay your dreams and ambitions down before God and trust that his way is best.
Read Numbers 9 and 10
