They Obeyed The Lord’s Order

Sometimes the cloud remained above the tent for a long time. Then the people of Israel obeyed the Lord's order. They didn't start out. Sometimes the cloud was above the tent for only a few days. When the Lord would give the command, they would camp. Then when he would give the command, they would start out.

Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening until morning. When it lifted in the morning, they started out. It didn't matter whether it was day or night. When the cloud lifted, the people started out. It didn't matter whether the cloud stayed above the holy tent for two days or a month or a year. The people of Israel would remain in camp. They wouldn't start out. But when the cloud lifted, they would start out.

When the Lord gave the command, they camped. And when he gave the command, they started out. They obeyed the Lord's order. They obeyed him, just as he had commanded them through Moses.

Number 9:19-23

Our lives are in motion. God can change that. When He commands us, we should listen. Think about how you get your messages. Maybe it’s the Bible. Maybe it comes from someone else, and maybe it is the quiet voice, we sometimes take for our conscience. It is that feeling in the back of our head that we should listen to, without fail.

At times, when Moses was in the wilderness, God kept the Israelites in one place. He led them by a cloud, and they may have stayed in one place just for the night, or much longer.

You may feel that you’re stuck and just spinning your wheels in your service for God. But keep your heart open to God’s leading. Then listen for the direction from God, and go in that direction.

God orders our stops as well as our steps.

Our Daily Bread – February 20, 2010