20 SO IT WAS, WHEN THE CLOUD WAS ABOVE THE TABERNACLE A FEW DAYS: ACCORDING TO THE COMMAND OF THE LORD THEY WOULD REMAIN ENCAMPED, AND ACCORDING TO THE COMMAND OF THE LORD THEY WOULD JOURNEY.
21 So it was, when the cloud remained only from evening until morning: when the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they would journey; whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud was taken up, they would journey.
22 Whether it was two days, a month, or a year that the cloud remained above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would remain encamped and not journey; but when it was taken up, they would journey.
23 At the command of the Lord they remained encamped, and at the command of the Lord they journeyed; they kept the charge of the Lord, at the command of the Lord by the hand of Moses."
Numbers 9:20-23 (NKJV)
In the text of this teaching we could see how God relates with those who are His. The journey of the Israelites in the wilderness was taken over by God, leading them through the cloud and fire (Numbers 9:16).
One of the major things to be learnt in God's relationship with the children of Israel is being led or guided by God in all the affairs of life. Their journey was being masterminded or commanded or arranged or directed by God through the symbol of cloud. When they needed to move from one spot to another, It had to be determined by God through the movement of the cloud. The movement of the cloud in their journey symbolizes the commandment of God (Numbers 9:18,20).
The number of days or weeks or months they would encamp in a place is determined by the cloud movement (Numbers 9:19,20,22). When the cloud moves, whatever anyone is doing would be postponed and the packing and movement will start immediately. The movement was not subjected to deliberation or procrastination, the moment the cloud moves everyone begins to move, whether in the night time or day time. In other words, If they were sleeping in the night time and the cloud moves and the trumpet was sound, everyone begins to move immediately (Numbers 9:21).
How this is applicable to the new testament believers is, God wants the believers to be led and directed by His Spirit (Romans 8:14). God was using the cloud as a symbol or a guide for the Israelites in the old testament but in the New testament dispensation, we have the Holy Spirit on the inside of us, each individual believer, meant to guide and direct us in all the affairs of life:
"FOR AS MANY AS ARE LED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD, THESE ARE SONS [daughters] OF GOD" (Romans 8:14 NKJV).
As a believer in Christ, the physical cloud might not be there to guide or lead you but you have the Holy Spirit on the inside of your spirit man, your recreated human spirit, to guide and direct you on all the affairs of life (Romans 8:14).
The only condition that would make a believer suffer is when he or she heeded not when the Holy Spirit is giving a signal that It is the time to move, or the time for a change has come. Any Israelite who refuses to move when the cloud moves would be left behind; same is applicable to any believer today. If God moves and a believer who is walking with Him, God, refuses to move, such would be left behind.
This principle is an important principle for every believer who is walking with God or those who want to augment or boost their walk with God. In this principle, even in the contemporary time, God at times uses physical events or happenings—like moving of the cloud—in the life of a believer or things around them to signal or tell them what He wanted them to do or the direction He wanted them to go as He did with the Israelites, using the cloud.
Thus every believer should know and train themselves to be sensitive and be discerning when such a thing happens. Things happening in a believer's life are not just happening for happening sake, they are indirect messages from God which could be missed by whoever is not sensitive and circumspect.
Mostly, believers who experience this kind of leading are those who have unwaveringly submitted to God's Will and are committed to the decision they have made. God would not just take over someone's life, even a believer, who is not totally committed to Him. This type of leading usually occurs in the lives of those who have made the sacrifice and have dedicated their lives fully to God.
Thus, If you aspire to live this life, being led or controlled or guided fully by God, It has to be deliberately done by unwaveringly submitted and committed to God. When the decision is made, God would want to test your loyalty and faithfulness, that is, how faithful you are in the commitment you have made. What He tells you not to do, or where He tells you not to go, He would want to see and know whether you will obey to the letter or not. Your consistent obedience would determine the strength of the commitment you made, likewise, the strength of your relationship and communion with Him, God.
If I may ask, Are you being led at all as a believer in Christ Jesus? Are there guiding principles or rules of life given to you by God in which you ought to live your life by? (Judges 13:12).
If you have not gotten to the level being shared or explained here, It means you have not made the commitment of unwavering submission. You are still guiding and leading your own life by yourself. You are still being controlled by your soul—mind, will, emotion—and the flesh (Romans 8:5-8).
A believer who is still at the level of being controlled or led by the soul and flesh, his or her human nature, such has not totally been submissive to God. Such is still being moved or influenced by the affairs of life (Romans 8:9,14).
Being led by the cloud, the events or happenings around a believer, is discernible. In other words, when you are being led through a circumstance or situation you can get to know It, If you trained yourself to know It and If you are yielable—if you are a pliable or bendable believer. The pliableness or pliability must have been seen in your life in your walk with God.
However, in contrast, God might not all that bother about giving signs to a believer who has shown the signs or elements of being recalcitrant or rebellious or defiant in the past in his or her relationship with Him. Even If God did, such might not get or understand it or might be indifferent to it (Jeremiah 7:13; Hebrews 5:12).
God speaks to believers every now and then, but it is difficult for a lot of believers to hear or discern the callings or sayings of God. God speaks minute by minute and hourly but many believers are inclined more to the natural side of life, they are not at all spiritually sensitive to God's sayings.
You would do well to pay attention to your sensitivity, ability to discern whatever God is saying per time and every moment in the journey of your life.
Peace.
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