Pam Padgett ... teacher
When the Levites were recounting before the congregation many of the
things God has done, they spoke of how God brought the children of Israel
out of Egypt and led them in the wilderness ...
Nehemiah 9:9 And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest
their cry by the Red sea; 10 And shewedst signs and wonders upon
Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land: for
thou knewest that they dealt proudly against them. So didst thou get
thee a name, as it is this day. 11 And thou didst divide the sea before
them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land;
and their persecutors thou threwest into the deeps, as a stone into the
mighty waters. 12 Moreover thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy
pillar; and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the
way wherein they should go.
God showed them the way to go in the wilderness by a pillar of a cloud
by day and a pillar of fire by night. The
pillar of a cloud would be very visible by day, and the pillar of fire would be easily seen by night. God
led them in a way they could see and recognize.
While thinking about this, I thought of how God leads us in a way we can
recognize. God knows everything about each of us, including what we
have experienced in the past, and is able to
"reach" us in a way we can understand to show us the way we are to go.
Many years ago when I was working at FedEx we were allowed to ride in
the cockpit of some of the cargo planes. On one trip the co-pilot was
landing the plane and was descending too quickly. An automated siren
sounded and then a recorded voice said "Pull up! Pull up!", giving a very strong warning of danger ahead if adjustments weren't made. The co-pilot made necessary adjustments and landed the plane safely, but this made a strong impression on me.
Several months ago I had allowed my mind to start dwelling on past failures and sins,
one thing leading to another. Feelings of condemnation and hopelessness
started weighing me down, almost paralyzing me. Then a thought came ... "Pull up! Pull up!". Because of my past experience, I immediately realized this was a strong warning. I was also reminded of what Paul said ...
Philipppians 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to
have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which
are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I
press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in
Christ Jesus.
Although the thought "Pull up! Pull up!" would have meant nothing
to many people, it very clearly showed me that I needed to make adjustments
quickly. By that thought and being reminded of Philippians 3:13-14, it was clear to me that I needed to immediately stop dwelling on the past and to turn to God
and ask Him to direct my thoughts so I could move forward in His way for me.
God knows how to lead each of us in a way we can understand.