The children of Israel were guided by day by a pillar of cloud above them. This was to guide the way and perhaps it was a shelter from the hot and oppressing sun.

At night they had the fire- the fire, which was a light in the darkness, the fire of the Lord. As they marched along, It went with them, guided them along with the Ark of the Covenant.

The Israelites were kept safe day and night and when the Lord gave the signal to move along they had to move straight away. If it was a one-day stop, or many days, they had to obey immediately with no room for thought. There was no room for wondering if it was the right thing to do, they just did what the Lord said, by kept their eyes fixed on the pillar of fire or cloud.

The presence of the Lord, displayed in the fiery cloud above them, and His felt presence among them every day, was the constant guiding light of the people of God. Why is it so difficult for us who have the open Word?

God is not hiding from us, and has shown us His glory through the Lord Jesus. We see His greatness in grace and truth, and the exhibition of eternal love, as Jesus hung on that cross. We see His power displayed in the resurrection of Jesus, and poured out on the church, recorded in the book of Acts.

The truth is, we don’t really value what we have. We are so busy doing things and talking to others, we have little time to draw near to our Father.

I wonder what it will take to persuade us that we need to do this?

Are we in the last of the end days, when there is tremendous falling away?

How would we recognize this falling away?

The felt and known presence of God is not recognized… The pillar of cloud and fire are not followed because we have become blind.

“Seek the Lord and live, or he will sweep through the tribes of Joseph like a fire; it will devour them, and Bethel will have no one to quench it”. Amos 5:6