About a year ago I went through one of the hardest situations I have experienced in my life so far. I asked God for help, asked Him to change the situation, asked Him to heal, I asked Him for peace in the midst of the storm. As I was seeking God for help, I imagined what it would be like to be in that same situation but without my belief in God. What would it be like to not believe that God is in control and that He can bring good from any situation. I imagined that for a moment - same situation but no God - it was awful. I don’t know how people do it. I had to believe because the alternative was too painful. 

I thought of this situation as I read in the book of Numbers today. The passage was talking about the cloud and fire that accompanied the Israelites in the wilderness. I read a commentary by Charles Spurgeon that said, “The chosen nation had the pillar of cloud by day for a shelter, and the pillar of fire by night for a light. God’s presence acts on us in much the same way as the cloudy/fiery pillar acted on Israel: we get shelter from the fierce heat of the world’s day and deliverance from the darkness of the world’s night through our Lord’s gracious presence.”  

Can we still our hearts for a moment today and think on that last line… “We get shelter from the fierce heat of the world’s day and deliverance from the darkness of the world’s night through our Lord’s gracious presence.” Let’s receive that truth today and let it fortify our souls.  

As we go through our day, with all the challenges and joys, God’s presence is near whether we can feel it or not. He has promised never to leave us nor forsake us. This truth is not as physically obvious to us as it was to the Israelites with the cloud and fire. They could see that from wherever they were in the camp. But even though we can’t see Him, He is even closer than the fire and cloud. The Holy Spirit allows us even closer communion with God. So whatever situation you are in today, I pray that you can receive this as encouragement that God is near. He goes before you and behind you and His presence gives us hope.