“He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people” (Exodus 13:22 KJV).
If you peer out my bedroom window after dark, you might glimpse a faint glow coming from another window somewhere in Canada. My husband noticed first; he said you have to stand in just the right spot to see that little light.
The Israelites, on the other hand, could easily see the pillar of fire that led them by night. That miraculous light showed them where to go while they trudged through the dark desert. And by day, God provided a cloud to guide them. He gave His people everything they needed, both night and day. Such miracles must have dazzled the Israelites. Yet every day we can delight in God’s providence as He meets our needs.
One summer my husband and I tried in vain to buy firewood. We had a cookstove at the time—our primary way to heat food, water, and our home. But nobody we called had firewood available, only long waiting lists. I fretted about what we would do.
A wildfire of worry roared in my mind, even during a wedding reception I attended. At some point I ended up talking with a friend who had, I discovered, bought a piece of property near the road I lived on. Heart pounding, I asked: “Will you need to clear some of the land?” She and her husband did plan to, so that they could build a house. I resisted the urge to jump up and down. Instead I asked: “Do you think you might sell some of the trees you cut?” That also turned out to be their plan — and they charged much less for firewood than what we normally would have paid.
Because of God’s providence, we stayed warm all winter long. Why had I worried? When I remember to view circumstances in light of His promises, I can see that God will never fail to meet His children’s needs.
Christine Laws is a freelance writer and editor living in Amity. Her essays, poems, and stories have appeared in a variety of magazines and church papers. She is also the author of “Fresh and Fruitful: Cultivating the Art of Writing.”
