“At the commandment of the LORD the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the LORD they pitched: as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents” (Numbers 9:18).
TEXT — Numbers 9:15-23
Message
It is often said that the first duty of every soul is to find not its freedom but its Master. The escaping Israelites were blessed to have God and His obedient servant Moses leading them through their wilderness journey. After more than 400 years of servitude, Israel needed someone who can hear God speak and give clear direction of how to reach the Promised Land. Though decades of Egyptian servitude had dulled their hope, a new leader, backed by God’s unfailing promises and powerful signs and wonders, was all they needed to steer their depressed hearts in the pathway to the Promised Land.
Today’s text illustrates the story of God’s workings amid His people. We are exposed to God’s reliability during uncertainties of life. The writer of the book of Proverbs counselled believers that, while trusting the Lord with all our hearts, we must never lean on our understanding. “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths”, he says. The wilderness of Sinai was a very thorny terrain, hence the name Sinai. It was an area filled with uncertainties and unexpected danger for fearful Israel. Thorns and thistles are poor enablers when deciding on matters of eternity. However, the Lord our hope personified, promises to guide our steps along the path He has chosen if we let Him. He knows when to activate the journey and when to rest our weary souls. It was a training that will prove useful when Israel finally came face-to-face with their foes who were bent on keeping them from God’s provision.
In her popular song His eye is on the sparrow written in 1905, Civilla Durfee Martin (1866-1948) the Canadian assured us that there’s an eye in the sky seeing all the activities of men. The seen realm is for men, but the unseen belongs to our God who not only beholds the visible but also dwells in the realm of the invisible. This is why we can trust Him with every iota of our lives. At His command, we go. At His command, we stay. This is the secret of those who arrive safely in the journey of life. We must learn to obey and follow God’s leading. He knows and sees all.
Thought for the day
The surety of our safety is in obeying God’s command
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
