In a furiously fast turn of events, Pharaoh set the Hebrew people free. Centuries of slavery in Egypt were behind them; a new future was ahead of them. The promised land beckoned. Yet on their own they stood no chance of survival. For that reason, “The Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire” (Exodus 13:21 NIV).
Can you imagine the blessing of this divine GPS? On any given day God told them where to go. We can thank Isaiah the prophet for telling us the name of the force within the cloud and fire. “Who is he who set his Holy Spirit among them…” (Isaiah 63:11 NIV). Who led the ex-slaves through the wilderness? The Holy Spirit. And who leads the children of God today? The Holy Spirit!
