“The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.” Exodus 13:21-22
Life is hard. Walking with Jesus challenges us to make difficult decisions; we are constantly subduing our flesh to live in alignment with God’s will. Throughout scripture this is called sanctification. This process means we are being set apart for holy use, however, before we can get used by God, we must overcome sin in a constant effort to cultivate Godly character. In the Bible, this process is depicted numerous times with fire. A burning sensation that consumes our flesh to remove remnants of sin. This is not a peaceful image.
Often during this process, we experience suffering. In our suffering, we seek understanding. That understanding turns into why God?! Or where are you God?! If you are sovereign, why do you allow so much pain? We turn our focus away from sanctification. The perspective goes from what we should/could be doing for God to what God can/should do for us. There is no greater demonstration of this than the Israelites in the desert.
God sent plagues upon Egypt. God had spared all Israelite first borns through the first Passover. God had just shown his people his might in numerous powerful ways. Yet, when they get to the Red Sea their first thought and reaction is to question God. They wonder how God could have led them into the desert to die. They lacked faith and God was even right next to them. Exodus tells us God was a pillar of cloud during the day and fire at night; that pillar never left.
This is a powerful image. God was right there in plain sight. Miracles were actively happening in front of the Israelites, however, they had so much doubt it blinded them. This can be us in our day-to-day lives. We can be in a season of wilderness, active sanctification for Jesus. In those times we can cry out in pain; we can question why God allows hard things to happen. Then we miss the miracle happening before our eyes. We miss the transformation occurring within ourselves to draw us closer to God. We forget to draw our dependence from God and make him the center of all things.
Today, let’s pray over scripture. Repeat as many times as you need John 16:33, “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world.” Jesus, help me hold the peace you promise in my heart. Help me keep faith in your triumph over this world despite the troubles I am bound to face. Amen.
