Led by God

Do you need to know which way to go next? Are you confused about where you need to be?

I was reading Numbers 10 this morning and was reminded that God led the people of Israel in three ways—all obvious—and all by Him.  

1. The priest blew a silver trumpet when it was time to break camp and get ready to leave.  It was the signal for the Levites to take down the tabernacle.  Jesus is our high priest—he will blow the trumpet for us. 

2. The cloud lifted from over the camp. This cloud covered the Israelites as they traveled. It warmed them, cooled, them, protected them, and led them. The cloud is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.  He lives inside us (followers of Jesus) and teaches, corrects, and leads us.  

3. The ark of the covenant led the Israelites and told them where to stop.  This is a picture of God the Father—the ark carried His presence. It was HIS presence that led them.  He still leads us and tells us where to stop.  

These were obvious signs—and they led the Israelites. When the cloud covered the camp and the ark of the covenant resided in the tabernacle, it was time to rest and hear God. But when the trumpet blew and the cloud lifted and the ark led the way, it was time to move!

God hasn’t changed. He still leads in obvious ways—but we have to be tuned in to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God has promised that the Spirit will lead us. Jesus is a lamp for our path and trumpets the way He IS the way, truth and life. God goes before us, comes behind us, and has his hand on us. He wants us to know the way! Ask for his leading. And ask him to make it as obvious for you as he did for the Israelites. Throw your full weight of dependence on him. LISTEN to him!

Wait!  Did you think those were YOUR thoughts to move on??  Maybe you need to check if it’s your thoughts—or the trumpet sounding!!

“The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in [everything that you do] from this time forth and forever.”  

Psalm 121:8 AMP

Tunnel Vision

Years ago, God showed me how easily I can get tunnel vision. I think it’s one of the biggest ways Satan is working in our culture today.  

God told us, “For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9. 

When we don’t go to God to get his perspective on a situation, we’ll have tunnel vision. We focus on our limited perspective—the part we can see. And from that telescopic view, we form an opinion. It becomes an opinion—not based on the WHOLE truth—but on a small puzzle piece of the truth.

Let’s ask God today if we have tunnel vision.  We just might be surprised.

God is Serious about Sin!!

God is very serious about sin. He’s told us how to live and when we violate His instructions, there are consequences—sometimes swift and painful.  

Don’t think so?  There were two sons of Aaron who’d just been ordained as priests, Nadab and Abihu. The first 7 chapters of Leviticus were their instructions. And then they were ordained. But their first acts as priests were in complete disobedience. They brought unholy fire—from the wrong source and done the wrong way—into the tabernacle. God sent fire from heaven to destroy them. Someone has said that their ordination lasted longer than their profession as priests. 

Do you think God just treated sin that seriously in the Old Testament?  Consider Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5. They sold property with the intent of giving some of the proceeds to the newly established church. It wasn’t wrong to keep some of the money for themselves…but they lied and pretended to bring ALL of the profit when they’d kept a portion. God revealed the deception to Peter and then God struck both Ananias and his wife dead. 

When God says to obey him, he’s serious. He has drawn boundaries to protect us. It’s just like we do as parents—we tell our kids not to play in the street. Why? To spoil their fun? NO!! To protect them. God’s purpose is the same. He wants us to obey so we don’t step out of his protection and into the arms of Satan who wants to destroy us. 

God is still serious about sin. We have to be in the Word of God to know how to agree with God. It’s his guidebook, his instructions, his HELP in navigating this life. Throughout the Bible, he tells us, “You must be holy because I, the Lord, am holy.” Holiness isn’t perfection—it’s living a life set apart—set apart to obey him.  The good news is he’s given us his Spirit to guide us, teach us, help us, comfort us, and correct us. 

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”  I John 1:9 NLT