Numbers 9:15-23

One year after the Israelites left Egypt, they came to Mt. Sinai. Here God gave Moses the plan for the Tabernacle. God instructed Moses to build it exactly as it was shown to him on the mount. When it was completed, a cloud came down from heaven and rested on the tabernacle. By day they were lead by this cloud and during the night, by a pillar of fire.

For God to come and dwell with us, we must be separate from the world and live holy lives. It is sad to see how many leave Egypt to go to the promised land, but they get weary on the way, and never reach it.

God commanded Moses that they must travel with the cloud. if the cloud remained in a certain place, they were to remain there too, until the cloud moved. Whenever the cloud moved, whether night or day, they had to go with it immediately. In our spiritual lives, we too must wait on God's leading and guidance. We must not seek great things for ourselves to do for God, but be faithful in the slightest direction and movement of God's Spirit. We must follow Him day by day.

We are more privileged than the Israelites, for we have God's Spirit, whom He had given to us (Rom 8:14), to lead and guide us. God has also given us His Word, the Bible. We must read it day and night, and let God's Spirit lead us through His Word, for the letter without the Spirit kills.
The story is told of Martin Luther having had a dream. In this dream he saw himself in a church and a very eloquent preacher preached a wonderful sermon. Somehow he knew that it was the devil. He went to him and asked him how he could preach such a wonderful sermon. The devil answered, "Did you not know that the letter without the Spirit kills. This is my greatest tool in hardening people's hearts."

May we therefore be lead by God's Spirit, through His Word, day by day.

(Rev Chauke also gave a short testimony on how God comforted him with the passing away of his wife some time ago).