“RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT” (MOVING WITH THE CLOUD)- BY PASTOR GREG ELKAN.

There’s a little fun game played by children called “Red Light, Green Light”. The format is straightforward: everyone lines up at a starting line, then an umpire shouts _“green light!”_ and they all move as fast as they can towards him/her. They must freeze, however, if the umpire shouts, _“red light!”_ and must remain that way until he or she says _“green light!”_ again. 

The fun thing about this game is that those who fail to freeze when the umpire shouts _“red light!”_ will have to go back to start from the starting line. The winner of the game is the child that reaches the umpire first; i.e. the child that was smart enough to move quickly when they hear _“green light!”_ but not so fast that they’re unable to freeze when the umpire shouts _“red light!”_ 

The entire people of Israel played their own game of “Red Light, Green Light” while in the wilderness 😊. In their case, God was the umpire and His “Red Light, Green Light” cue was the pillar of cloud/fire that moved with them. Num 9:17-18 explains it succinctly: _“When the cloud moved from its place over the Holy Tent, the Israelites followed it. When the cloud stopped, that is the place where the Israelites camped.  This was the way the LORD showed the Israelites when to move and when to stop and set up camp. While the cloud stayed over the Tent, the people continued to camp in that same place;”_ (ERV).

Thus, you see, it’s technically incorrect to say that the Pillars of cloud and fire _followed_ the Israelites while they moved in the wilderness. It was rather the reverse: they were the ones _following_ the cloud.

The cloud never sought their permission before moving; once it started moving, _they_ had to break camp and start following it. There were consequences to not doing that. Other than leading them, the pillar shielded them from the extreme and inclement climate of the desert. The cloud by day would be a covering for them from the scorching sun, and the fire would provide light as well heat for them from the notoriously cold desert nights (Ex 13:21; Neh 9:19). Of course, there was also the primary advantage of supernatural protection (as seen in Exodus 14), and the benefits of living in the general ambience of God’s presence: miraculous health, provision, and sustenance (Dt 29:5; Ps 105:37). 

Beloved, as you go into this year; make a decision to move and act only on the impulse of God’s Spirit in you. He’s promised to lead us in the way that we should go, (Is 48:17); we play a part, though, in moving with Him as He leads.

AMEN...

PASTOR GREG ELKAN.

More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus’ Name.