April 27, 2020

Bible Reading – Exodus 13

Exodus 13:21-22
[21] And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
[22] He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

At the beginning of their journey to the promised land, God gave the Children of Israel an incredible and unmistakable gift, His presence, in a pillar of cloud or fire. The pillar made the Presence of God unquestionable. It guided and directed every step they made. It never went away! Every morning when they woke up, they could look to the pillar. Throughout the day, they needed only to look to the pillar to know both that God was with them and that they were exactly where God wanted them. How helpful it must have been. How much comfort must it have produced!

Wouldn’t it be incredible to have God’s presence perpetually with us in a physical entity to guide us and bring us comfort and hope? While it may not be practical to have millions of pillars of fire leading each Christian every day, it certainly would help me to know God’s will! While I may not have my own personal pillar of fire, I’m so thankful for the truth of Psalm 119:105 “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” I can recognize the presence of God every day by reading God’s Word. How precious a gift the Bible is. In its pages we can find wisdom to guide us and promises to comfort us. We need only to search the Scriptures to recognize God’s presence and will for our Christian lives. How profitable and how vital it is to look to God’s Word each day! May we make it our first pursuit in the morning and our constant resource throughout the day.

Eli Faulds