Riding In The Glory

And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. ~Exodus 13:21

The road was straight before me as I began a new chapter in my life. The day was bright and my heart filled with expectation as I pulled away from the place that I had lived for so long. And as the trip began, I got so very excited. You see, a friend of mine had allowed me to have their sign that read "Glory Zone". In anticipation of my trip, I had placed it in my vehicle in the front window. And I began to get excited about the prospect of the glory of God going before me wherever the road may lead.

 

I realized not long into the trip that I felt much like the Children of Israel must have felt. I felt as though my car was covered by God's grace and mercy and that every step away was a step towards God. It's hard to describe except to say that I felt like I had a pillar of a cloud and fire leading the way. Even as flash storms hit, the reflection of the sign in the front window seemed to almost clear a path ahead in a symbolic way. It truly felt as though we had been riding with His glory.

So often, we get ahead of God or fall behind. We either move too quickly and try to make things happen that we think God is saying for our lives or we lag behind as though our spiritual feet are in quick sand. But what God wants us to remember is that how we move is like a dance with Him--He moves, we move (just like that). We have to be so in tuned with our partner (the Lord) that we move with the cloud and stay put when it does the same. In fact, there's a passage of scripture in Isaiah that says that if we put righteousness ahead of us, 'the glory of the Lord will be our rear guard'. As we traverse the terrain of this battlefield of life, when we put our ego and selfish desires to the side and focus fully on God getting the glory, it is that very glory that protects us. I read somewhere that the "rear guard" of an army is often responsible for ensuring that the lines of battle are secure.

Today, God wants to secure your situation. He wants to cover you with the pillar that keeps you moving in the right direction. He is yearning for you to ride in the glory zone. To get in the zone, it takes focus, it takes faith and it takes fortitude. You have to be willing to put aside your own "stuff" and trust God in all aspects of your life. It's easier said than done, but today be encouraged that it is possible to live and ride consistently in the glory zone if you press through and believe that He has truly got your back.

Blessings,
PastorA