Cloud by Day, Fire by Night

When the children of Israel were wandering through the wilderness toward the Land of Promise, we find an interesting event recorded in Exodus 13:21-22. "And Jehovah went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them the way, and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; that they might go by day and by night: the pillar of cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night, departed not from before the people." Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:11, "Now these things happened unto them by way of example: and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come."

We have left the bondage of Satan, hoping to get to the Promised Land, but seem to be wandering in the Wilderness of Sin (Ex. 16:1). We sometimes are so surrounded by difficulty, disaster, danger and death that we have doubts that we will ever make it. We need to understand that God did not lead us out of bondage to abandon us in the wilderness. When Jesus gave the Great Commission, He promised His followers, "I am with you always" (Mt. 28:20). The confident words of the Psalmist should always be in our hearts to comfort and sustain us. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me" (Psalm 23:4).

When Peter, James and John were on the "mount of transfiguration" a cloud overshadowed them. They could not see what or Who was in the cloud, but they could hear His voice. It said, "This is my beloved Son; hear ye him" (Mk. 9:7). We do not need to know or see what is behind every cloud, but we do need to know that God is there, trying to lead us if we will but follow the voice of His Son.

If we have not really trusted in Jesus, understanding that He has all authority in heaven and on earth, we need to do that (Mt. 28:18). If we have not had a godly sorrow for our sins and a determination to stop sinning, we need to repent (Lk. 13:3). If we have not confessed our faith in the Lord, we need to do that (Rom. 10:10). If we have not been baptized for the remission of our sins, we need to do that without delay (Acts 22:16). Have you been listening to the voice of men, or will you hear the Son?

T. Pierce Brown

Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)