Never Forsaken: Walking with God


Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.  Exodus 40:34-35

 During special seasons in the history of the world, God’s presence was visible among His people. The people of Israel were accompanied by God’s glory in the form of a pillar of cloud and of fire that traveled with them through the wilderness. Many centuries later, they were given the gift of God, Himself, walking among them in the person of Jesus Christ. But is this a gift relegated only to the past?

 When God brought His people out of Egypt, He led them with His own presence and glory in the form of a cloud. This cloud is pictured as a pillar that moved to guide them from one place to the next and settled amongst them when they were to remain in one place. It went behind them at the Red Sea to separate them from their enemies, the Egyptian army. In today’s passage (Exodus 40:34-38) this cloud fills the Tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, with God’s presence so thoroughly that Moses cannot enter it. The people could literally see God living among them at all times – the cloud by day and a fire burning within it by night – and yet they still struggled to follow Him. They still strayed. They still sinned.

 Fast forward about 1,400 years and we are awe-struck by the story of God coming down from heaven to live among men in the form of a tiny baby. Born into poverty and humility, hunted and in danger, growing up in a rather ordinary way and taking on a regular trade, like all His contemporaries, Jesus lived a human life and experienced the joys and pains we all do. During most of His earthly life, people didn’t realize He was God incarnate, God with skin on walking around with them, talking to them, touching them. And when they found out? They crucified Him. Is that because they could see it, but they still couldn’t believe it? Did the wonder of it all surpass their ability to conceive? I don’t know, but I read that even though they had God physically present among them, they still couldn’t manage to obey Him.

 While these seasons were incredible, we read that seeing God among them didn’t change the people and make them follow Him perfectly. Today, we don’t see a cloud guiding us from place to place, a fire burning within it at night to comfort us with God’s protection. We don’t get to walk alongside Jesus, having a back-and-forth conversation with Him and having Him physically pick us up when we stumble. But this doesn’t mean that we don’t have God living among us. In John 16:7 Jesus told the disciples that He needed to go to heaven so that He could send the Holy Spirit to live with us. He said that this was for our benefit. The way Jesus presented it, having the Holy Spirit live among us, within us even, was even better than having Jesus physically present, walking among us. I think it’s hard for people to understand that, though. How could it be better? When Jesus was here, we could see Him, hear Him, touch Him. The presence of the Holy Spirit is so much different, but in John 20:29 Jesus tells us, “Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” How are we blessed? Well, for one thing, when Jesus was physically present only a limited number of people could see Him and hear from Him at any given time. Now the Holy Spirit is present within all believers at all times. We are never alone, never separated from Him. Can we hear His audible voice? For most people, most of the time, no, but that does not mean that we can’t hear from Him. It’s just in a different way. For some it is an impression, for others a still, small voice. Sometimes it’s through circumstance that is accompanied by a quickening in our spirit. He communicates to us through His Word, His eternal love letter to us. However He speaks to each of us, the reality is that He does speak. We cannot touch Him, but I know there are times when I have felt held by Him. We cannot see His physical body, but we can see His image in all those around us created by Him and we can see His hand at work in our lives and the lives of those around us.

Here’s the Thing: Do I wish that I could see God, hear from Him audibly, feel His physical touch? Yes, of course I do, and I believe that some day I will when I get to live in heaven with Him for all eternity. For today, I am so very grateful for the presence of God with me, His Spirit guiding, comforting and teaching me. 

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