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The Pillar of Cloud.

Billowing majestically, it moved forward...and the Israelites advanced.

Pulsing with power, it hovered...and they pitched their tents and waited.

The Cloud...always in front of the people. “By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.” (Ex. 13:21-22 NIV)

The Angel of God. Giving divine guidance by day and fiery heat and light by night.

But the horses’ hoof beats pounded. The chariots rattled. And the marching soldiers’ footfall droned. The enemy closed in on them, in pursuit of their lives.

Israel shook in their sandals. They cried out to the Lord.

Moses said to them, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” (Ex. 14:12-14 NKJV)

“Raise your rod, Moses,” God said. “Stretch out your hand over the sea. Divide it that Israel may walk through it on dry ground.”

“Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them...coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.” (Ex. 14:19a, 20 NIV, emphasis mine)

The Living Bible says, “It gave darkness to the Egyptians but light to the people of Israel!” (Ex. 14:20b) Darkness to the enemy; light to the people.

The Lord stood between His children and their enemy. He had their backs! And this enemy at the rear was history. God had a plan for their future and a path all mapped out for them to move forward.

God does the same for us. Sometimes, He performs His handiwork behind us, in the background. So, what is behind us? Our past? Depleted circumstances? Old way of thinking? Attempts of the enemy?

The Lord stands between us and whatever attempts to come against us, protecting us. He has our backs! Our enemy is history. God has a plan for our future and a path all mapped out for us to move forward.

No matter what is behind you, God has drowned it in the dark depths of the sea of forgiveness, if you have given it to Him. Don’t let worry go to the shed and pull out the ol’ fishing pole!

Whatever is on the other side of the cloud, the Lord stands ready to fight for you. Stand still and see what He will accomplish for you.

Let God’s pillar of cloud be darkness to what is behind you and a glory light to what is in front of you.



This post is part of Internet Café's Wordfilled Wednesday...

Days string out and knot together as if knitted with a ball of yarn. Endless multitudes pursue the teacher for miracles and teaching, giving Him little time to rest. As He attempts some leisure time on the hillside with His followers, another crowd ensues.

Now, the teacher is faced with feeding five thousand plus people with a mere five barley loaves and two small fish. Another miracle. Another knot.

As the men in the crowd realize this teacher is the Prophet foretold in the Scriptures, they attempt to crown Him their king.

The teacher has other ideas.

He slips away from the crowd to the seclusion of another hillside, seeking that familiar solitude with the Father, to untie the knots and find rest.

The disciples wait on the shore for Jesus to join them. The sun’s bronze glaze on the lake has shriveled to a sliver. They can wait no longer. So, they set out for Capernaum...without Jesus.

As Jesus prays on the hillside, silence surrounds Him; as the disciples row across the lake, a squall surrounds them.

Shafts of lightning split the darkness as cymbal-claps of thunder split the air.

The tempest cants the vessel, tossing it about with the rise and fall of the surging waves. Foaming crests heave over them.

Squinting through the stinging pelts of water, the disciples blink incessantly. As they rub their blurry eyes, terror shrouds their souls. A man walking on the water. The stories of the sea serving up its swallowed souls come rushing to their minds. A ghost! It must be a ghost!

Over all the turbulence booms the voice of Jesus, “It is I; do not be afraid.” (John 6:20 NKJV)

Oh, that trusted voice! Relieved beyond belief, they welcome Jesus into their vessel.

In a heartbeat, their vessel rests on the other side of the lake, in a safe harbor.

Great story. But did you see yourself anywhere in all that?

Have you ever set sail into some new venture of your own making, without waiting on the Lord’s time schedule, and found yourself in the midst of a raging storm?

Sometimes, we think the Lord is taking too long and we launch out without Him. But the Word tells us...

* “Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” (Ps. 27:14 NLT)
* “My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him.” (Ps. 62:5 NKJV)
* “Yet, the strength of those who wait with hope in the LORD will be renewed.” (Is. 40:31a GOD’S WORD Translation)

Sometimes, Jesus waits for the proper time of arrival, just as He did when Mary and Martha needed Him when Lazarus was sick, that God will receive the glory. As Isaiah said, “Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; and therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you.” (Is. 30:18a NKJV)

When we encounter times of turbulence, our hearts are tossed from side to side, rising and falling with each wave of crisis. Do we invite Him into our vessel of circumstance or continue on without Him?

David wrote, “Then they cry to the Lord in their trouble, and He saves them. He calms the storm and stills the waves. What a blessing is that stillness as He brings them safely into harbor!” (Ps. 107:28-30 TLB)

Calm may not always immediately surround us, but it can occupy our hearts. We can rest in God’s peace and be harbored in His safety.

The presence of God in the vessel of your heart and your storm makes all the difference in the quality of your existence.

Above all the turbulence in your life, Jesus says to you...

“It is I; do not be afraid.”