Power of His Presence

Isn’t it true that sometimes we do not like to be told what to do? We believe we know what is best for us and exactly what we need and how to go about getting it.

We sometimes do not see the reason why we need to involve God in some of our plans and decision-making. Oftentimes, we trust in our fleshy wisdom, our academic knowledge, experience, or position to navigate us through life.

But God is encouraging us to have a change of attitude and choose to let Him lead and guide us through our life’s journey.

“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. And the Lord did not remove the pillar of cloud or pillar of fire from its place in front of the people.” Exodus 13: 21-22 (NLT)

The pillars – of cloud and fire – were symbols of God’s presence and guidance to the children of Israel in their journeys to the Promised Land.

God had a destination for the Israelites and that was to get them to the Promised Land. Wherever the pillar of cloud went, and regardless of its unpredictable change of plans, we know now that it led them safely enough and sure enough to the Promised Land. This was God’s promise to His people and the longing desire of His heart.

We all have a destination in life and every one of us have a longing desire in our heart. Whatever is the longing of our hearts, I am saying that the power of God’s presence is what will get us to our destination successfully.

As for God’s promise to bring the Israelites to the Promised Land, He demonstrated that He alone:

• Knows the route through the wilderness
• Knows when the Israelites were tired and needed rest and ready to be on the move again
• Knows where danger was and could navigate them away from it
• Knows where their enemies were and was able to plan their defeat
• Knows what will sustain them throughout the journey
• Could guarantee their safety, security, protection, well-being and peace
• Could guarantee their safe arrival in the Promised Land
• Could go ahead of them to drive out the inhabitants of the land they were to possess
• Is omniscience to know what the Israelites were up to and provide the appropriate guidance and direction so as not to incur His wrath

Jehovah God was the God of the cloud and pillar of fire. All the children of Israel needed to do was to trust it implicitly and follow it constantly. In all this, we see a picture of the divine providence and guidance of God over us.

God’s guidance of His people has one purpose; to bring us out of worry and stress into rest, out of bondage into liberty, out of sin to eternal life.

The future may be unknown to us but is not unknown to God. He has gone ahead of us, and He is evermore delicately adjusting things for our benefit, our discipline, our perfecting, our utmost salvation and glory.

So, whatever or wherever our destination is, whatever is the longing of our heart, we need to look to God to lead the way. We need a moment-by-moment power of His presence.

Stay blessed,

Alex