Glimpses of Glory (#341 of 365+)

“Blessed be His glorious name forever! And let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen” (Psalm 72:19 NKJV)

The other day my son and I walked out of Walmart during sunset and we
were floored by what we saw. A single, gigantic cloud was lit up the color of a bright, fiery red like no other red I’ve ever seen before. My first impression was that I had just received a hand-crafted valentine from God. I asked my son what his first thought had been. He said succinctly, “Whoa…”

Today’s devotional is about how God allows us to see glimpses of his glory in our everyday lives so we’ll remember to follow him. It reminds me of how the Lord guided the Israelites, interestingly enough, with a fiery cloud:

On the day the tabernacle, the Tent of the Testimony, was set up, the cloud covered it. From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire. That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire. Whenever the cloud lifted from above the Tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped. At the LORD’s command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the LORD’s order and did not set out. Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days; at the LORD’s command they would encamp, and then at his command they would set out. Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they set out. Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out. Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out. At the LORD’s command they encamped, and at the LORD’s command they set out. They obeyed the LORD’s order, in accordance with his command through Moses. (Number 9:15-23)

Okay, so God showed me a fiery cloud the other day and now I’m reading about Israel’s fiery cloud. Is it a coincidence? I prefer to believe that it isn’t. As Joni said, “Our God is an intentional God, brimming over with purpose, infusing meaning into everything around us.”

“Show me your glorious presence” (Exodus 33:18 NLT)

Lord, I pray as Moses prayed: Show me your glory! Thank you for sprinkling my days with tokens of your providence, on purpose, so I’ll remember that you’re right there with me every step of the way. Amen.