Follow the Fire!

By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.  Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.
Exodus 13:21-22

When the wise men came to see Jesus after His birth they followed the star that led them to the Lord. When the Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years they followed the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. They did not have to wonder if the way they were going was really the way that God wanted them to go. All they had to do was to follow the cloud or the fire!

I have often wondered why so many have great difficulty in knowing which way to go in following Jesus. Does He want me to do this or is He leading me to do something else? The best advice of course is to pray, read the Word, listen to the council of other Christians and move in faith. But why can’t I simply see the cloud or the fire and follow Him in full assurance that “this is the way to go?”

When the wise men were following the star to find the new King how did they know it was the right one to follow? The Bible does not tell us that part of the story but these men followed one star that appeared among a vast multitude of other stars.

When the Israelites followed the cloud there must have been days when there were many other clouds which could have led them astray. Even at night when they followed the fire they could have been paralyzed by fear of the darkness surrounding them.

So as darkness falls on the world around us and fear sets in on men who were once courageous let us keep our eyes on the fire and keep step with God on our journey although we can see nothing else but His fire.

The real secret in following Jesus is in knowing Him. The more time you spend simply letting Jesus infiltrate your heart and mind the easier it is to know if the way you are going is according to His will.

When two people are walking in the dark together it is much easier if they hold hands. The old song says it well: “Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, let me stand.”

The darkness is coming! Hold tightly to the Hand of Jesus and FOLLOW THE FIRE!