The PIllar of Fire

This may sound familiar, but I am going to look at something differently than I have ever thought about it before. I was doing a little background on yesterday's devotion when I came across first Ex. 13:21-22, "And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people". Then Neh. 9:19, where Nehemiah says "Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day to lead them in the way neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go". There is a lesson here about how God will never leave us, and about how He will lead us, but today's lesson is back in Exodus.
When I came across Ex. 14:24, there was a picture developed in my mind, and I just have not been able to get away from that picture, or the truth behind it. As we read this verse, use your mind's eye to picture what is going on. Imagine the camp of all those Israelites, out in the desert at the base of the mountains, with that pillar or column of fire/smoke/cloud stretching all the way to the sky, between the camp and the mountains. "And it came to pass, that the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians". Look up at the top of that pillar, now think, God looked THROUGH the pillar, He was inside the pillar, He WAS the pillar, can you see His face in the cloud? Look down the pillar, can you see His body, His hands, His legs, His feet, the cloud WAS the physical manifestation of God with them, watching over them, leading them, keeping them safe. What a wonderful thought.
Now think about it, we are told that He never changes. He told us that He would never leave or forsake us. We have the same pillar of fire/smoke/cloud beside each of us today, there just is not a physical manifestation. But, it is there nevertheless.
Acts 2:3 describes the day of Pentecost when the Spirit of God anointed the believers, it is described as "cloven tongues of fire". How many other verses can you think of that describe God this way?
In Matthew 28:20, Jesus says "I am with you always", however in Mk 14:7 He also says, "Me ye have not always", did He just contradict Himself? If you think so read John 14:16, and 15:26, He explains this apparent contradiction when He talks about giving us a Comforter, and when the Comforter is come. The Comforter is the Holy Spirit. The non-physical manifestation of the pillar of fire/smoke/cloud, of the Israelites.
The one thing I want you to take away today, is the mental picture of God looking out of the pillar, watching over His children.