No one misses his way by following God. As a child of God, you should know that your secret to succeed in life and to achieve your God-ordained purpose is to allow God to lead and guide you. Moses knew the importance of being led by God, so he was not prepared to move an inch with the people of Israel if the presence of God was not with them. All that the children of Israel knew was that they were going to the Promised Land. What they did not know was the way to the land. Today’s passage shows us God’s choice of means to guide and lead them throughout their wilderness journey. Right from the outset, Israel was to follow the pillar of cloud.
Theophany is the visible manifestation of a deity (God). For Israel, the unknown unknowns were how long and when the journey would end. This dilemma may explain their frustration with the wilderness journey. Still, they were protected and preserved by divine providence all the way to the Promised Land. Knowledge of this should strengthen our faith in the omnipotent One. Jesus told His disciples that He would send them the Comforter, the Holy Spirit of God to guide and direct all their affairs. While He was physically with them, He told them what to do throughout their more than three years of following Him. Now, the Holy Spirit has taken up the role of guiding our steps in fulfilling God’s purpose for our lives.
As we await the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, we still have many unknown unknowns. For instance, we cannot tell exactly when He will come for His own. We need the continual guidance of the Holy Spirit as we wait and work till the Master comes. Therefore, it is essential for us to be sensitive constantly, yield to the leading of the Holy Spirit and allow His counsel to prevail.