DAY AND NIGHT
And 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 (ESV)
A few years ago, I began a new chapter in life and found myself facing big decisions, like selling my home and buying another at the same time. A realtor, highly recommended by my neighbors, sat with me at my kitchen table, placed her hand on mine, and said, God has you covered. Her words brought comfort, though I had no idea then just how I would come to know and understand them.
God was surely with me in so many ways, working miracles through people who showed up at just the right time, often out of the blue, to help in exactly the ways I needed. Staging, cleaning, clearing out, storing things, making donations, packing, moving and unpacking—all of it fell into place. It felt as though I was simply along for the ride, while my Father in Heaven—who knows all things and sees all things—was orchestrating it all, using my friends and family as His hands in my life.
Being covered by God is shown beautifully in Exodus 13, where His presence appeared as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. In other words, He had them covered—day and night—with His divine presence. Pillars are tall, narrow columns, so I imagine the Israelites looking up and seeing cloud upon cloud stacked higher than their eyes could see. And at night, the pillar of fire—its flames reaching upward—gave them both light and a deep sense of security.
These pillars would not have been the norm. They would have been powerful and extraordinary, a comfort and confidence for the people as they made their trek through the wilderness to their new lives.
I’m not special or unique in experiencing God’s covering. Big decisions or not, you can rest assured, He’s got YOU covered too.
APPLICATION: How do you recognize His presence? In what ways, unique to you, has He proven He is near?
PRAYER: Father, give me eyes to see Your extraordinary presence in my life. Amen
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?