“The pillar of cloud and of fire”
He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night.—Exodus 13:22
Read Exodus 13:21-22
In all probability, the children of Israel did not know the way that they were going. As slaves, they probably had never ventured outside of Egypt. If they had known, they certainly would have asked Moses why they were heading towards the Red Sea. But the Lord led them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, so they had no cause to worry. The cloud gave them shade by day and the fire offered them warmth and light at night. In both cases, the nation was called to look upward that they might know God’s will. We also must look up for His will. Both of these pillars came at the right time, at Ethan, next to the desert. All the children of Israel could see was an unending sea of sand. If we had been Israel, we probably would have turned around, but the Lord chose this way for His people to make His name great among them.
From this point onward there were no indicators of the Israelites’ path, only the Lord’s direction by the pillars of cloud and of fire. Maybe things in your life have come to a grinding halt because your plans did not materialize. Perhaps you have been shown that your plans were devoid of any thought of God. Then ask the Lord to lead and guide you through life as He did Israel. Most people have to hit rock bottom before they call upon the Lord. Do not wait for that, but hand the rudder of your life over to the Lord now. You will never be sorry. It is good to travel with the blessing of the Lord even when His way turns in another direction.
What did the pillar of cloud and of fire stand for?