Pastor Becky Fischer

In my devotions this morning I happened to be reading in Numbers  where God is telling Moses how He is going to put the cloud of his presence over the Tabernacle. He continues by saying that in the daytime they will see him as a cloud, but at night time the cloud will appear as fire. They were to keep their eye on the cloud by day and the fire by night. He said:

"On the day the tabernacle, the Tent of the Testimony, was set up, the cloud covered it. From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire. That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire. Whenever the cloud lifted from above the Tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped. At the LORD's command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the LORD's order and did not set out.

Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days; at the LORD's command they would encamp, and then at his command they would set out. Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they set out. Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out. Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out. At the LORD's command they encamped, and at the LORD's command they set out. They obeyed the LORD's order, in accordance with his command through Moses."

It struck me as I was reading that this is what the Christian walk is supposed to be. We're not to make any significant move without His clear direction. I'm sure the Israelites went about their daily routine of washing, cooking, and whatever they did for a living. But they were not to make any major moves without absolutely knowing that God was leading.

We all know that we need God's guidance in the small things too. I'm not saying we should only go to God with the "big" things in our lives. But we don't need His guidance to know  we should brush our teeth, take a bath and go to work everyday. But when it comes to things that are going to affect our lives and the lives of those in our family members, how dare we think we can do it without knowing his will for our lives?

 The Israelites never made a move without following God. Jesus was the same way. Read the book of John and as an exercise write down every time Jesus made statements like, "I do nothing and I say nothing but what I see and hear the Father do." So he too never moved until he saw the cloud or pillar of fire move. No wonder he was able to perform the miracles, signs, and wonders that he did. I wonder what we would be able to accomplish if we made the same determination--to "remain in the camp, and not set out without the Lord's command." Have you begun teaching your children how to be led by the spirit of God like this? If not when were you planning on starting?