Following the Cloud
Scripture - Numbers 9:17
Whenever the cloud lifted from above the Tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped.
Observation
The cloud over the Tent of Meeting was the presence of the Lord. Every time Moses went into the Tent, he spoke with God, often about how to deal with situations in the camp.
However, as far as direction for the people as a whole, he and they took their cue from the cloud. When the cloud moved, so did the people. When it stayed over the tent, the people stayed in place. Sometimes they stayed for several months, other times only overnight. The cloud was there for all to see, and follow.
And follow they did, apparently without any dissension among the people. For a people rebellious at heart, their attention to the cloud and movement in synch with it makes sense. They were in the desert, totally dependent on the Lord. If He moved, they had to follow to survive.
Application
After the coming of the Holy Spirit, the very presence of God is within us, to guide and empower. This is a much more intimate relationship with God than the cloud over the Tent.
I need this intimate connection with God. My world is much more complicated than for those camped in the desert. They were a people united under God; I live in a time and place where many people deny, and most ignore, God, and with many more distractions and competing voices.
I really need to know the voice of God, to be able to align myself with what He is doing, and where He is leading me. In this complicated world, I need His wisdom and power more than ever for matters large and small.
Prayer
Lord, I confess my tendency towards self-sufficiency. Your ways and perspectives are so much higher than mine. You know the end from the beginning. Help me to know your voice and be bold enough to follow where you lead, and to leave the outcome in your hands.
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