On the Road Again...

The Lord went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night. Exodus 13:21

It's one of those seasons... Nothing seems to make sense... What I thought was the right direction was apparently the wrong direction... What I thought was the wrong direction was apparently the right direction! Anybody else ever have those times?

I'm beginning to understand, on a small scale, what the children of Israel must have been feeling as they left Egypt. They had seen the mighty hand of God at work, miraculously delivering them from slavery, setting them free to pursue what looked to be a very bright future. So they're on their way to the Promised Land. They're following God, and maybe don't even realize that God is taking them on a round-about kind of journey to their destination. So they're following the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, and they know they are on the right path because they are following God. Then, all of a sudden, God pulls a u-turn on them because He's working on a plan to show His glory to Pharaoh. But still the children of Israel follow - no problem!

There they are, all camped out where God said to camp. They're happy. They're content. They're just waiting for God to tell them to go, and then they'll be on their way. But they look up and see that Pharaoh's army is after them! Then they look the other way, and suddenly that sweet beachfront property they're camped on doesn't look so sweet anymore! Now they're panicking. They're crying and complaining because, understandably, they're scared to death!

I can relate, and maybe you can, too. I thought God was leading in a certain direction. It was exciting, looking to the future, wondering exactly what the road would look like, but exciting because God was in it. I was following God, but soon realized we weren't going the direct route, so I figured there must be "Philistines" out there He was protecting me from. That's okay. I'm ready for the journey, as long as God's leading the way. But then came the u-turn, and that was almost more exciting because it seemed He had spoken so clearly, "Camp here."

But then, somehow, here I am - Pharaoh's army is behind me, and the Red Sea lies ahead, and even though I know how the biblical account turns out, I confess I'm feeling a little panicky.

I've told you before how I prefer the big-picture of the road map to the turn-by-turn instructions of a GPS... Well... God's taking me on a GPS journey! I'm following the pillar of cloud, but I'm frustrated because I can't see past it - all I can see is the cloud. But God is in the cloud! And that's got to be enough! He is MORE than enough!

So step by step, putting one foot in front of the other, following God even though I'm not quite sure where we're going or how we're getting there, I'm hitting the road again...

A wise pastor once told me that it's easier for God to steer a moving vessel... Well, I'm moving. Lord - steer away!

So if you find yourself adrift, like a ship with no direction, I want to encourage you to get in motion, then let the Lord lead the way, learning to trust your Captain even when you can't see the shore. I'm right there with you - just along for the ride!

...Just a thought...