This post is part of my ongoing series of writing down my thoughts on the Bible passages I read each day. Some days I hope to have great insight that the Lord gives me, and many days, I will likely struggle through the text and not know what to write down based on what I read. My hope and prayer is that as I make this a habit, just as I did daily writing for so long, that I will improve on my ability to read and understand the passages I’m reading. Please keep in mind that many of these posts may be published late at night or with little time studying and simply be my first thoughts after reading. This is in no way a commentary that one should use to discern the Bible, but my own personal thoughts.

God’s cloud.

While the Israelites are traveling during this time they are guided by a cloud from God. When the cloud settles, that’s where they were to set up the tabernacle. When it lifted, that meant they were supposed to travel and follow.

I at least speak for myself when I say that I often wish that I had this kind of guidance in my life. If I only had a magical cloud that just told me what I was supposed to do, when I was supposed to do it. I think of this as being so helpful.

And yet, in a way, God gave us something even better. He gave us an entire book for guidance. But he also gave us freedom in our life. There isn’t, to us, a cloud that we must follow in order to have a happy and content life. Instead, if we abide in Him. And by that, I mean seek after a relationship with God by reading His word, by praying to Him, by constantly asking Him and coming to Him with our day-to-day needs. If we do that, he promises to give us all things.

Matthew 6:33: “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”

This is not to be misconstrued thinking that God is a magic genie that is just going to give us everything you want. The first part of that verse is vitally important. “Seek first HIS kingdom” So often we seek first our own kingdom and are then disappointed when we find out that our kingdom is not as cool as we once thought.

The people in this time, during the time of Moses, we so often picture as having some special advantage that we don’t have because they had Moses who could go and talk to God and then speak to them based on what was told him. But here we are with direct revelation from God that we can pick up and read any time, and yet have often do we do that?

We have a cloud, but when was the last time you opened it up to read it every day for a month?