Are You Feeling Blown Away or Abandoned?

 Where is another place we see Jesus in the Old Testament?  

Have you ever seen a cloud pillar? When I was growing up, we would see what we called “dust devils” that were little swirling dirt cloud funnels. If they actually came through our yard we would run and try to get inside them—having heard that they are calm on the inside. Ugh. We’d just end up all dusty with bits of tumble weeds invading our hair, clothes, and shoes or flip-flops. Our eyes and mouths would be all dust coated and gritty. Not a very wise choice. Those seemed like miniature tornados, but we didn’t have tornados in the Columbia Basin of eastern Washington state. I did see tornadoes in Omaha, Nebraska; near Cincinnati, Ohio; Wichita Falls, Texas; and even more recently near West Richland, Washington. Yes. It was surprising to see one even in Washington where we thought we’d never have those type of storms—maybe 50-100 mile an hour winds, but not tornados which I would never try to run into or even towards. I don’t think that the finger like wind pillars from the tornados were in any way God leading anyone anywhere. They were merely the weather fronts of cold air and warm air meeting and creating seriously damaging winds. 

        The LORD, often known as Yahweh, used a cloud to lead His chosen people to the land of milk and honey that He promised to them. Moving over a million people (603,550 men and additional women and children, Numbers 1:46) from Egypt to Canaan was a big task. They likely had to travel night and day—so God used a pillar of fire at night and a cloud pillar during the day to signal the people to go. Follow me—let’s go. According to this focus verse for today below, that cloud was the LORD. It was Jesus. Before Jesus ascended into Heaven, He promised to never leave, forsake, or abandon us, just as Moses had assured the Hebrew people before they went into the Promised Land.

So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you." Deuteronomy 31:6

As God told the Hebrew people to “go,” He continues to tell us to go, and reminds us of His promise to never abandon us. You never need to feel abandoned. Where will you “go” for the Lord today?

 

The LORD went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night. Exodus 13:21

 

Prayer – Lord Jesus, I am watching the sky for a pillar cloud or light for You to guide me to Your new Promised Land. Will I ever see that? Is it a pattern that You have created? I settle for just knowing that You are always with me…and You’ve promised to never abandon me. Thank you.

 

Meditate. Let God guide you—He will never abandon you.

 

Verse of Salvation ~ Do not turn your back on me. Do not reject your servant in anger. You have always been my helper. Don't leave me now; don't abandon me, O God of my salvation! Psalm 27:9

 

© 2025 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved. 

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted. 

New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. 

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm. 

 

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