Exodus 13:17-14:4

March 26th, 2025
by Victoria Archer

“The Lord went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭13‬:‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Required Reading

Exodus 13:17-14:4

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Devotional

God has been intentional about leading the people of Israel out of Egypt. I’m so glad His intentionality did not stop in Egypt. God continued to lead them with a pillar of fire and a cloud. God wanted to make sure His people knew where to go. All they needed to do what look up.

Fast forward a thousand years and we still see God leading His people to safety or in this case, the savior:

“After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬ ‭

The star “guided” the wise men and “stopped” over where Jesus was born. God did not keep it a mystery. He wasn’t trying to be cruel and play an impossible game. He led the wisemen to the exact place where their savior was. And thus, fulfilled the prophecy of the star.

The Lord hasn’t abandoned us without a pillar of fire, cloud, or star. He is still guiding us. First we have the Bible, God’s words. We also have the Holy Spirit as a always present guide, showing us which way to go:

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. John 14:26 NLT

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. John 16:13 NLT

I will instruct you and show you the way to go; with my eye on you, I will give counsel. Psalm 32:8 CSB

Wherever God wants to take us, we are not alone. He wants us to reach the destination. We just have to keep looking up towards Him in prayer and time with Him in His Word.

God was with the Israelites the entire time, ready to fight their battles for the sake of His own glory to show the world that He is the one true God. Yet, he rerouted them away from the Philistines because ‘“If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.”’ ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭13‬:‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It was their minds that would hold them back from seeing God work miracles in their lives. Let’s not let our minds hinder what God wants to do in our lives.

Reflection Questions

Has God ever told you to do something that you were scared or nervous to do? Did you do it? Is God still waiting for you to be obedient?
In what ways might you be moving ahead of or behind God’s guidance?
How well are you doing with keeping your eyes on God’s Word and your ears listening for the direction of the Holy Spirit? Can you hear Him? Are you distracted by other noises? Do you think He’s silent?

Pray that God would open your eyes and ears to see and hear where He is leading you.

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