Hearing His Voice #204 - The One Year Hearing His Voice Devotional

The LORD went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night.

Exodus 13:21

We long for such concrete guidance. If only God would post arrow signs in the direction we need to go, or roll out a carpet in the direction of our next steps, or open our spiritual eyes to see His gestures showing us the way, we would follow Him everywhere He leads. This is the kind of guidance Israel got on its way out of Egypt and all the way to the Promised Land. They wandered for a generation, but it wasn’t because they got lost in the Sinai wilderness. The cloud and fire were clear to all. They knew exactly where to go, day or night.

Why was God so clear with them and yet is so seemingly vague with us? Perhaps it is because they were in a critical, monumental moment that would affect the rest of history and illustrate God as Deliverer, Provider, Protector, and more for generations to come. But we have crisis moments too, and we need to hear His voice. We can rest assured, even when we don’t see a cloud by day and fire by night—or arrow signs or a carpet on the path or visible gestures—that He will show us enough to keep us moving forward.

Visible direction is the exception, not the norm. God is generally much more relational with us, leaving a huge gap of unknowing that compels us to search deeper into His presence in order to hear. Cloud and fire give information, but they don’t cultivate a sharing of hearts. Even so, God will patiently lead us—on a very circuitous path at times, but with a purpose—as we come close to Him. He is determined to get us through whatever wilderness we face.

Lord, You have led me on such a winding path that sometimes I’m not sure I’m headed in the right direction. I long for Your cloud and fire, but I’ll cling to whatever guidance You give. Please get me through this wilderness safely.