The Lord says:
"There is protection and guidance in My presence. Just as I gave the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night during exodus from the bondage of Egypt, I am still the same God who protects and guides you today, even in miraculous and unimaginable ways. Look to Me therefore and dwell in My presence, for I am faithful and I will never leave you nor forsake you."
Indeed, in perilous and dangerous times like these, the Lord has promised protection and guidance for those who look to Him and put their trust in Him. Psalm 91:1-6 (NKJV) says, 'He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust." Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday'. Psalm 91:9-10 (NKJV) then says, 'Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling'.
Though there is no author mentioned in the Hebrew text of this Psalm 91, Jewish tradition ascribes it to Moses, with David compiling it in his Book of Psalms. Through this Psalm 91, I would like to therefore relate it with Moses' experiences with the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night.
Let me explain.
We shall look at the book of Exodus now. Exodus 13:21-22 (NKJV) says, 'And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people'.
The word 'pillar' here is 'ammuwd' in Hebrew, and it speaks of God being here:
- to stand with you;
- to stay with you;
- to go through it with you;
- to be present with you.
We have no way to know how the Lord God made the pillar (ammuwd), but it was obviously a phenomenon, and a miracle from God as He protected and guided (led) the Israelites throughout their forty years of traveling in the desert. Not only in facing the heat of the day or the cold of the night, there were also sandstorms, bandits, and even poisonous animals! But the Lord God was there for them! During the day, the pillar guided their journey, and during the night, the pillar gave them light and comfort. And neither the pillar of cloud nor the pillar of fire left its place in front of the people. This is clearly a 'picture' of God's faithfulness and God's assurance that He will never leave us nor forsake us!
People of God, the good news is you too can count on Him all the same even today, because you are worshiping the same God, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever!
Do you know that the pillar was already there for the Israelites even before Red Sea crossing? Many people think the pillar only came about after Red Sea crossing. But that's not what the Scripture says! Exodus 14:22-26 (NLT) says, 'So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side! Then the Egyptians - all of Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and charioteers - chased them into the middle of the sea. But just before dawn the Lord looked down on the Egyptian army from the pillar of fire and cloud, and He threw their forces into total confusion. He twisted their chariot wheels, making their chariots difficult to drive. "Let’s get out of here - away from these Israelites!" the Egyptians shouted. "The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt!" When all the Israelites had reached the other side, the Lord said to Moses, "Raise your hand over the sea again. Then the waters will rush back and cover the Egyptians and their chariots and charioteers."' You see? The pillar ('ammuwd') has been instrumental in helping the Israelites break free from those who pursued them!
People of God, this 'pillar' represents 'God being here to stand with you, to stay with you, to go through it with you, and to be present with you', no matter what 'crisis' or 'dead-end situation' you may be facing at the moment. So, take heart and look to Him. Because just as He had done for the Israelites those days (even at Red Sea crossing), He can do the same for you today. Your part is to believe and receive all these promises of God for you (and in every situation of yours). In Jesus' name. Amen!
