As I was reading over a passage from the book of Numbers yesterday I came across a fascinating section on obeying the Lord. This passage is truly amazing so I decided to let you read the entire section before I make some comments on the rich rewards of trusting and walking in the will of God.
(Numbers 9:15-23) reads as follows:
15 On the day the tabernacle, the tent of the covenant law, was set up, the cloud covered it. From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire. 16 That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire. 17 Whenever the cloud lifted from above the tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped. 18 At the Lord’s command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. 19 When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the Lord’s order and did not set out. 20 Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days; at the Lord’s command they would encamp, and then at his command they would set out. 21 Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they set out. Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out. 22 Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out. 23 At the Lord’s command they encamped, and at the Lord’s command they set out. They obeyed the Lord’s order, in accordance with his command through Moses.
What an interesting way to travel – travel by cloud! During their wilderness wandering the people of Israel not only spent 40 years traveling before they could get to the promised land, but the guidance they received from the Lord was totally, as you can see from the Scriptures above, unpredictable. I like what Brother Yun says about the need for obedience to the Lord. I think his comment is very fitting for the Numbers passage: “We’re not called to live by human reason. All that matters is obedience to God’s Word and his leading in our lives. if God says go, we’ll go. If he says stay, we’ll stay. When we are in his will, we are in the safest place in the world.”1
We see from the Numbers passage above that there was no logic to the time frames on when the cloud would settle and when it would lift. As a result, Israel needed to rely on God’s timing on when to travel and when to stay camped. Human reason often has to be replaced by God’s divine, and sometimes unexplained, guidance and commands. A key lesson that God was teaching the Israelites here was to rely on His timing and guidance over our own decision making. The cloud here is a symbol of God always being present with us along the journeys of life. And when we obey His guidance, not only will we be keeping His will, but we will receive great joy and safety in the process.
There is a special joy that accrues to the believer when they know they are walking in the will of the Lord. Since this pleases the Lord, God automatically fills our hearts with a special joy that can only be experienced when we know we are doing things that please the Creator of the universe. There is an axiom that I have found in my walk with the Lord – pleasing God produces amazing joy! In fact obedience to the Lord and joy are really two sides to the same coin.
And when it comes to safety, Brother Yun is correct when he said: “…When we are in his will, we are in the safest place in the world.” So often we define safety as living with an absence of trials. However, in the economy of God, even in a storm, we can be safe and secure, when we are in the will and arms of Jesus. For you see safety is not measured by the absence of trials and suffering, but by being in the presence of the Lord.
In closing always remember that being in the presence of God is the key to joy and safety. For we read: “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11). And as far as safety goes remember that God is our rock, our fortress, and our secure shelter that we can run into whenever the storms of life assail us. And knowing as Christians, that we are secure in our salvation, because of what Jesus did at Calvary, allows us to weather even the most difficult of circumstances – safe and secure both now and forever!