When Pharaoh let the people go, God didn’t lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, even though that was the shorter route. God thought, ‘If the people have to fight and face war, they will run back to Egypt’. So God led the people by the roundabout way of the Reed Sea desert….
exodus 13:17-18, 21-22
The Lord went in front of them during the day in a column of cloud to guide them and at night in a column of lightning to give them light. This way they could travel during the day and at night. The column of cloud during the day and the column of lightning at night never left its place in front of the people.
Over the past few months, the pastoral team has been spending time seeking God for direction for 2023. We’ve been reviewing the amazing ways that God has been at work at Lifespring last year, especially in giving to those in need, whether it’s communities needing water in Africa or neighbours needing food in Willowdale.
As we begin closing out 2022 and look toward 2023, one image that came to mind for me was the pillar of cloud and lightning that is mentioned in Exodus 13. This is part of the story of the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt, where God directed Moses to take the people out of Egypt and bring them to the Promised Land.
In the CEB version, this part of the story is titled “God leads the way.” I feel like in 2023, this idea of God leading the way into new things will be a major one for the Lifespring family. When we talk about God leading the way, it means that God is going before us, and is out in front of us, calling us forward. I think there are some parallels between the idea of how God led the Israelites in Exodus and the way that God wants to lead us, both as a church and in our personal lives. Following God will mean two things for us–it’s a journey of challenge, but also safety.
First, following God is challenging. The Israelites discovered this in their journey through the desert. At times, the journey was so difficult that they complained to Moses and asked him to bring them back to Egypt, where they were slaves! In the same way, following God in our own lives can be challenging. At times, we have to face things within ourselves that we’d rather ignore. We have to get out of places where we’re comfortable, and put ourselves out there. We have to deny ourselves through things like fasting, and choose God instead.
But following God is also a place of safety. God is worthy of our trust and faith. We have a good good Father, and one who wants to bless us. In Luke 11, Jesus says, “Which father among you would give a snake to your child if the child asked for a fish? If a child asked for an egg, what father would give the child a scorpion? If you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”
Of course, God may not always do things the way that we prefer, or answer our prayers the way that we want. But we know that we can always trust that God will care for us. And there is real safety in knowing that when we follow God, He will watch over us.
Are you ready to take that step forward, and follow the cloud like the Israelites did?
There will be challenges, but there will also be victories. And in the end, we can trust that God will always lead us to a place that is full of life and goodness.