A Pillar of Cloud by Day; And A Pillar of Fire by Night…

Listen, this is huge…do you see it…God is surrounding you, His children, with Himself…His presence is here, day and night….Praise the LORD!! We are covered…in our coming in, and our going out…every second, of every moment, of every day….God has covered us with His anointing and power…

But, we have to do our part…and that is to TRUST HIM!!

In everything.

That means when I go to work and when I come home…when I’m driving down 95 or 75 or wherever…when I’m buying groceries…when I’m sleeping at night…or when I’m playing with my kids or traveling by sea or air or motorcar or motorcycle…whatever or wherever I am, because I am a child of the living God…He’s got me covered…not only that but His Holy Spirit is INSIDE ME!!! He’s teaching me how to overcome, and how to live, and how to forgive, and how to be a light to other people…to smile and not to fear…to help me in my responsibilities of raising a family and being a spouse and a friend, a neighbor and a relative…He’s showing me that even when I get upset I can rely on His peace to come and settle in my heart…and when I want to slap somebody who is stupid…I smile and show mercy instead…

The Israelites had to go the way God showed them, because if he had taken them straight to Canaan they would not have been prepared for the battle with the Philistines…they had just come out of slavery and oppression. They knew how to use a trowel, but they did not know how to use a sword…

They were in training, so God put them in solitude, boot camp, through the wilderness to teach them how they could survive and thrive in the land he was giving them…

They would be given laws, and ordinances, and shown how to live out the covenant they had with their God. They would learn strategies of war, how to trust God, and how to live by faith and obedience. We are no different today…

You may have just become a new Christian in the Lord Jesus…and know absolutely nothing of his ways…so you learn by going to Church and by reading His Holy Bible…and fellowshipping with like-minded believers…

Sometimes the older Christians forget what it’s like coming out of Egypt…we’ve been walking the wilderness road for so long we take it all for granted…I caution you, be more compassionate with new believers…teach by example seasoned with Love and understanding…and patience…we were once ignorant of many things pertaining to the Spirit…and God was merciful to us…New babes in the LORD, need lots and lots of grace…don’t whack the little lambs…nudge them gently…so they will not grow weary and give up…

A Pillar of Cloud by day and a Pillar of Fire by Night…

God was leading his children…and he knew just how to do it…

Now, that cloud, and fire, live within us. God is leading, and he knows what it will take to get us to our destination.

We must follow Him. He will not lead us to a dead end…when He says go, we must go. And when he says stop, we must stop.

One thing is for certain, we must stop complaining. Stop being critical of every little thing…

You are right where God wants you to be…and He will lead and guide you each step of the way…when we try to run ahead of God, that’s when we get into trouble…

If you were blind you’d have to rely on someone else’s guidance to lead you…our walk is almost like that with the leading of the Holy Spirit. We are blind, deaf and dumb when it comes to the things of God…He is our eyes, ears, mouth, feet, hands, heart everything…but thank God we don’t have to orchestrate anything…The Holy Spirit does it for us… all we have to do is follow Him…His sheep know his voice and a stranger they will not follow…

When you feel discouraged and frustrated and lonely and tired; then recognize something is wrong…it’s time to clean house…so to speak…get rid of jealousy and anger and greed and doubt…get rid of envy and gossip…stop confessing with your mouth, “I don’t have a husband, I don’t have a wife…I don’t have children, I have to many children, I can’t stand my boss, I can’t stand my co-workers…with attitudes like that no wonder we can’t get anywhere…

Stop and start over…and start speaking blessings…

What you say with your mouth produces what you obtain…There’s life and death in the power of the tongue. (Proverbs 18:21)

What comes out of the mouth comes from the heart and what comes from the heart is what you will receive. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45 New King James Version (NKJV)

“I am blessed and happy and I have all that I need and want and more. God is a good God. I am well and my family is awesome…I will live and not die and I will proclaim the wonderful works of the Lord…God has made me to prosper and my body is healthy, my mind is sound, and I have the peace of God…Good things are coming to me because I trust in the Lord…and when I am afraid I will still trust in the Lord…He is for me who can be against me…I have the authority in the name of Jesus to say to this mountain be removed and cast into the sea…and it has to obey…I am full of the joy of the Lord and therein is my strength…I will rise early and thank my God for He has given me the Victory…Praise the Name of Jesus, All Glory and honor and power belong to the Lord…”

Now, God will hear and answer your petitions, requests…because you have acknowledged Him and He will go before you and will make the crooked places straight…Sing, rejoice, and make melody in your hearts…For God has done marvelous things….Remember how he brought you out of all those trails in the past…? He’s the same God now, as then…

You are covered by the Pillar of Cloud by day; He will protect you and hide you from the enemy. And the Pillar of Fire by night, he will give you warmth from the cold and drive away dangers of the night. He will give you protection as you camp and as you travel…He will feed you and your clothes will not wear out…That is God’s delight, for you are His children. God is with you and in you! Amen…

Do not worry, and do not be afraid…remember who your Abba is, and stand firm, you know him and He knows you!!

Let His Cloud of Love guide you every day and His Fire of Love Protect you and guide you at night…Be Filled with the Holy Ghost and Fire!

–Marla Shaw O’Neill

Exodus 13:21-22 The Message (MSG)

They moved on from Succoth and then camped at Etham at the edge of the wilderness. God went ahead of them in a Pillar of Cloud during the day to guide them on the way, and at night in a Pillar of Fire to give them light; thus they could travel both day and night. The Pillar of Cloud by day and the Pillar of Fire by night never left the people.