The Cloud And The Fire

The Word will make a way. God guides our journey, lights our paths with the fire of His love and protects us with the covering of His grace. 

“Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan had taken a great liking to David and warned him…Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding and stay there. Saul sent men to David’s house to watch it and to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, warned him…When David had fled and made his escape, he went to Samuel at Ramah…So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God came even on him, and he walked along prophesying…He stripped off his garments, and he too prophesied in Samuel’s presence. He lay naked all that day and all that night.” 1 Samuel 19:1-24

No one ever said that serving the Lord would be easy. David had done everything right to serve Saul, but Saul was determined to kill him. Yet God intervenes by sending a word to warn David through other people and the spirit to stop Saul in his tracks. The word of God protects us if we will listen and let God lead. 

The text said the men and Saul prophesied. The word means more than predict the future. It means someone who lets God speak through them. How is God speaking to you today? How will He speak through you. Your words have more power than any weapon. They have the power of life and death. In this story the words of warning saved David. 

The simple message is this. The same God who protected David when he was most vulnerable protects us today.  Saul had power but nothing can stand against the presence of God. When we stand before God like Saul it can either be terrifying or a time of rejoicing. It depends on how we live. 

“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth. He remembers his covenant forever, the promise he made, for a thousand generations, He sent Moses his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen. They performed his signs among them, He spread out a cloud as a covering, and a fire to give light at night. They asked, and he brought them quail; he fed them well with the bread of heaven. He brought out his people with rejoicing, his chosen ones with shouts of joy;” Psalms 105:1-43

You wonder what David thought about when he was going through the difficult times. How did David hold on to hope even while Saul was pursuing him? He let us in on his secrets. His focus was on God. He gives us his guidebook. These are action verbs, not merely add-ons to his life. He says, praise, glory, seek, look, remember and make known all God has done. Is that what you will do today? If you want the strength of David, you need the discipline of David to live for God. 

Do you believe that God will provide for you and protect you? Do you believe that you have a cloud of Christ covering you and the fire of God’s love to light your way? The text says that not only does God want to help make you survive, He wants you to thrive, sing, and rejoice. When we consider all that God has done, how Jesus has freed us from all sin and the Spirit empowers us, our faith can overcome our fears. 

“Who is this coming up from the wilderness leaning on her beloved? Place me like a seal over your heart, for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away.” Song of Songs 8:5-7 

We are all on a journey through the wilderness of life and were designed to lean on the God who loves us. The wilderness is not a place of safety, but we can walk securely, knowing that we are not alone. Anyone who has taken a step on this planet knows that like Jonathon warned David you have to guard and prepare for what’s to come. 

The best protection we can find is found when we place Christ as a seal over our hearts. He is the one who overcame the grave and whose love is an all consuming fire. Have you sealed your heart? Is it His?

“In that day the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel. The Lord will wash away the filth…he will cleanse the bloodstains…by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire. Then the Lord will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over everything the glory will be a canopy. It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.” 

Isaiah 4:2, 4-6 

The connections in scripture are truly incredible especially when we see them appear again and again as we walk day by day one chapter at a time. Throughout the text today, we see the words of the cloud and fire.  The protection and the guidance. 

Long before Christ God tells us that he will wash away and cleanse his people.  One of the ways he protects us is by giving us the promise of hope.  Hope cleanses our minds from the fears that can creep in and guilt that can get in our souls. The text says those who assemble will experience the power and presence of God. 

We are all part of one body of Christ and He spreads His love as a canopy over us. The canopy is covenant covering like a wedding. We are the bride and he is the bridegroom.  Just like David said God remembers his covenant and we are the people of that covenant as we trust Christ with our lives. How does knowing that you are loved by Jesus and belong to him change how do you feel about today? Does the bridegroom not protect provide for and guide his bride? The language of bride is not about gender. It is Spirit to Spirit. God is Spirit and Truth. God is Love. It’s about being loved, sealed and sanctified by the blood of Christ as we are made new by Him.  

“After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated…With a mighty voice he shouted: “ ‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’ She has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit…For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries…Come out of her, my people,’ so that you will not share in her sins…God has remembered her crimes. Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Give her as much torment and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts, ‘I sit enthroned as queen…She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her. The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again…By your magic spell all the nations were led astray. In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people” 

Revelation 18:1-24

The Day of judgment acts has both a day of purification for God’s people and the day of destruction for those who have done wrong. Babylon is judged and that might seem like a foreign concept to us, but the idea of people who lust after the pleasures of the world, the possessions of the world, and the power of the world is not foreign. It’s real. The Angel calls for the people to come out. He says do not share in her sin. People who live in luxury and for themselves will earn a double portion of pain. What will you earn today? Will you earn the blessing of honor because you honor God by serving Him or earn the just judgment those who do not? 

Fire can be loving and fire can consume. On the day of judgment, it says that the fire consumed the corrupt. Her light was put out and the sound of her voice silenced. Just like Saul who talked a big game but was stripped naked when standing in the presence of God, we all we reap what we sow. It’s an interesting connection to see the passage and by judging anyone who harmed the prophets or those who speak for God and to remember how prophesy marked the the passage in Samuel. 

The presence of God is terrifying to those in rebellion but like the prophet Isaiah said a glorious covering to the surrendered. Revelation reminds us that every counterfeit kingdom built on pride, greed, and exploitation will ultimately fall exposed before God like Saul in his nakedness. 

What is the call to action? Love God and love others. Let Love lead the way knowing that you are guided, protected, and covered by Christ. Remember what God has done. Tell others your story and praise Him publicly. Live faithfully knowing one day we will all stand before the King. So do not fear the Sauls of this world. Walk under the fire and cloud of the presence of Christ, make known His goodness, and live as people of covenant hope who will be covered every step of the way.