Numbers 9:15-23 describes the way that God led the people of Israel as they set out into the wilderness. God showed his presence among the Israelites in the form of a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. As long as his presence rested over the Tabernacle (i.e., the Israelites' "church") they stayed where they were, but when the cloud or pillar of fire moved from the Tabernacle they would pack up their belongings and follow it to the next place that God wanted them to stay. Sometimes they would only stay put for the night, other times for a month.
Verse 23 states, "At the command of the LORD they camped, and at the command of the LORD they set out..." The Israelites allowed God to be the determining factor of where they went. They waited on His direction, then quickly followed wherever he led.
As Christians, we often fall into one of three categories: (1) those who don't seek God's will [or do, but don't wait around for an answer], (2) those who attribute God's will to any personal desire [e.g., "God is leading me to stop tithing..."], (3) those who genuinely wait on The Lord and for His direction. In case you were wondering, God's desire is for all of us to fall firmly in category #3. The sad reality is that most of us fall into one (or both) of the first two categories. It's time to honestly seek God and his direction for our lives.
In what direction has God been leading you? Comment below!
--Pastor Stephen Valcourt