June 2, 2022

Exodus 13: 21, 22 (NIV)

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 night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.

We all make decisions based on inadequate knowledge and understanding.*

While I have no desire to wander in the desert for 40 years, this verse makes me feel a twinge of envy for the Israelites. They always knew which way God wanted them to go, day or night, because they had visible evidence of his presence in the camp. I know that he directs my path today but sometimes it feels like guesswork. Where are my pillar of cloud and my pillar of fire? 

Jesus’ attitude toward those who asked him for a sign (Matthew 12: 38 and 16: 4), leads me to agree with the writer who said, “God’s will is not always the mystery we may think it is.”* His sovereign will for the world will be accomplished no matter what decisions you or I make. We are left to determine three things:

1. What is God’s moral will? 

2. What do I want to do? 

3. What can I do? 

God’s moral will is revealed in his word. If your course of action is not in violation of scripture or legal authorities, you are free to choose your path according to what you want to do within the boundaries of opportunity and ability (you can’t have the job you want just because you want it and you probably won’t be playing professional basketball if you are 5’2” and not very athletic). 

In 2 Timothy 3: 16 and 17, we learn that scripture is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness “so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” But the scripture can’t help you if you don’t know what it says. You have a responsibility to read your training manual.

Yes, a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire might be nice but we have something better. In John 14: 15-17 and 16: 5-11, Jesus promised to send his Holy Spirit to be our Counselor. And Paul offers these words of hope in Romans 8: 26: “We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us.” Know the word. Know the Spirit. Know the will of God.

Making decisions is hard enough. We certainly do not need to add to it the burden of evaluating our options against a false understanding of whether or not we have properly uncovered the divine plan.*