“And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.”
– Exodus 13:21
This is one of my favorite verses in the book of Exodus. What a powerful picture. So, God’s people have now been delivered out of slavery in Egypt, so where do they go? And how will God lead them as his people? And God provides a pillar of cloud during the day to lead them along the way. This pillar of cloud that’s directing this massive people as they travel. And then by night, in a pillar of fire. Just imagine, what does that look like? At night, you’d look up, everybody among God’s people looking up and seeing this pillar of fire that gives light and helps them travel by night and directs them where to go. How awesome is that? This giant flashlight just saying, “Go this way.”
Guided by the Light of God
Pillar of cloud during the day, pillar of fire by night, the way God is lovingly leading his people here is a picture. Now, get it, just let this soak in. In your life, you’ve trusted in Jesus. If you know God, a relationship with God, He promises to lead you in this way. Not necessarily with a pillar of cloud by day or pillar of fire by night, and you might think, “Well, that would be better. I wish when I’m making decisions, or I wish in this or that way in my life, I had that obvious a direction from God.”
You and I have something better, though. We have the very Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, dwelling inside of us and directing our thoughts, and our desires, and our decisions, leading us literally step by step, the Holy Spirit in us.
Exodus 13:21 Encourages Spending Time Daily with God
So look to him daily. Spend time in his word, where you’re listening to his voice, and then look to him all throughout the day. “Spirit of God, lead me, guide me in this way, that way,” and he will. He will. He promises to lead us and guide us. He’s done it with his people ever since the beginning, and he’s not stopped doing it today.
Oh God, we praise you for your loving leadership in our lives. We praise you for what you did here in Exodus 13:21. What an awesome picture. We praise you for lovingly leading your people with a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night. And God, for the way you would lead them for years like that, and how the people would constantly be able to look up to you and see your leadership.
Exodus 13:21 Praises God for His Leadership and Guidance
God, all the more so for us right now. What they could have only imagined. Maybe not even imagined, longed for the very presence of your spirit dwelling inside of them, we have. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you for putting your spirit inside of us, for what you had promised in the Old Testament, your spirit coming in us to enable us to follow your laws and direct our paths. So we look to you today, and help us to look to you all day long today, and all day long tomorrow, and the next day and the next day, to live in step with your spirit.
God, we pray that you help us, as we meditate on your word, to be familiar with your voice, to follow your voice, and God, to live with sensitivity to your spirit all day long. Your spirit who empowers us for a witness. Your spirit who comforts us, who convicts us of sin, who guides and leads us in our lives. We praise you, oh God, for your Holy Spirit in us. And we say, “Yes, lead us today.” In every way, lead us today. Keep us in step with your spirit in every step we take, and every thought we have, and everybody desire we have, and every word we say, we pray that we would be spirit-led people. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder and Chairman of Radical, an organization that helps people follow Jesus and make him known in their neighborhood and all nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, and Don’t Hold Back.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
