By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light so that they could travel by day or by night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people. Exodus 13:21-22
The story of God's guidance to the Israelites during their epic 40-year exodus from Egypt to the promised land is one of the exhilarating stories in the Bible. The pillar of cloud during the day and of fire during night enabled them to travel day and night. I had personally witnessed my son's amusement when I taught this Sunday School story; he even went out to monitor in the sky to find the pillar of cloud.
I don't know about you, but I am one of the believers who asked God to make me see Him physically and hear His voice and His plans from Him so that I will not make any gibberish decisions in life. I also feel green-eyed when I hear powerful testimonies of people to whom Jesus made a personal encounter. It would have been easier to make sound decisions that have 0% chances of going wrong if God Himself is directing us. I am sure this could be the spiritual battle many of the fellow believers are facing today. The truth is that we can still hear God's voice through a tangible object - THE BIBLE! Yes, the very much God-breathed, Holy Spirit -inspired Word of God.
The need to learn the Bible is undoubted as the need of God, except for the minority who have no access to the Bible or cannot read it. It's sturdy, alive, active and can deeply penetrate to the heart (Hebrews 4:12). It can transform even an atrocious criminal into a servant of God.
The movie 'War Room' stresses the importance of praying with the word. One thing which caught my attention is the effectiveness of writing the prayers and answers, bible verses etc. and framing them on the wall. This habit could help in remembering the prayer requests and the ways God answered your prayers (even differently, but beautifully). Our human minds are fragile and can be easily sidetracked by the enemy employing storms, but having these visual reminders can get us back to the One who created, guided and sustained us in the past and still does in the present and future. You know what - it's biblical practice too. God instructed the Israelites to engrave the commandments not only in their hearts but also on hands, foreheads and doorframes.
Learning the Word without a heart to follow Him could be disastrous. King Solomon portrayed this clearly in Ecclesiastes 1:18. More than the head - knowledge, God looks for heart - knowledge; your trust, hope and your willingness to be submissive to His will.
Stay abundantly blessed!
SJ
The story of God's guidance to the Israelites during their epic 40-year exodus from Egypt to the promised land is one of the exhilarating stories in the Bible. The pillar of cloud during the day and of fire during night enabled them to travel day and night. I had personally witnessed my son's amusement when I taught this Sunday School story; he even went out to monitor in the sky to find the pillar of cloud.
Where is the Cloud Today?
I don't know about you, but I am one of the believers who asked God to make me see Him physically and hear His voice and His plans from Him so that I will not make any gibberish decisions in life. I also feel green-eyed when I hear powerful testimonies of people to whom Jesus made a personal encounter. It would have been easier to make sound decisions that have 0% chances of going wrong if God Himself is directing us. I am sure this could be the spiritual battle many of the fellow believers are facing today. The truth is that we can still hear God's voice through a tangible object - THE BIBLE! Yes, the very much God-breathed, Holy Spirit -inspired Word of God.
Learning the Bible
The need to learn the Bible is undoubted as the need of God, except for the minority who have no access to the Bible or cannot read it. It's sturdy, alive, active and can deeply penetrate to the heart (Hebrews 4:12). It can transform even an atrocious criminal into a servant of God.
The movie 'War Room' stresses the importance of praying with the word. One thing which caught my attention is the effectiveness of writing the prayers and answers, bible verses etc. and framing them on the wall. This habit could help in remembering the prayer requests and the ways God answered your prayers (even differently, but beautifully). Our human minds are fragile and can be easily sidetracked by the enemy employing storms, but having these visual reminders can get us back to the One who created, guided and sustained us in the past and still does in the present and future. You know what - it's biblical practice too. God instructed the Israelites to engrave the commandments not only in their hearts but also on hands, foreheads and doorframes.
Learning the Word without a heart to follow Him could be disastrous. King Solomon portrayed this clearly in Ecclesiastes 1:18. More than the head - knowledge, God looks for heart - knowledge; your trust, hope and your willingness to be submissive to His will.
Stay abundantly blessed!
SJ
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