08-30-2026, 05:51 PM
https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/fu...qus_thread
When You’re Desperate for a Sign
March 19, 2025
by Meghan Mellinger
“By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.” Exodus 13:21 (NIV)
Sometimes I wish we had a touch of Old Testament drama in today’s world. Hungry and angry?
Look down and find bread from heaven (Exodus 16). Stuck in traffic? Look ahead and find cars parting like the Red Sea (Exodus 14), with one open lane in the middle just for you. (Hold the swarms of bugs and getting swallowed by a whale, please.) But instead of seeing miracles, my heart feels heavy with confusion today. Every area of my life begs the same question: Where am I going?
Jobs. Relationships. Friendships. Projects. Health. In my mind’s wandering, I crave clarity. I’m talking about blinking-neon-light, tell-me-what-to-do, Old-Testament-signs-and-wonders clarity. I’m sure the Israelites also had questions when they fled Egypt for the promised land — especially when they ended up taking the not-so-scenic route for 40 years. In all their wandering, they had to ask: Are we going in the right direction?
But God provided a clear sign: “By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night” (Exodus 13:21).
Our relational God never left His people’s side. He revealed Himself to His people 24/7, day and night. But my favorite thing about this passage? The way God guided them with a tower of light was not just a sign for His people in that moment but a sign of the Light who was coming for all people. The Light of the world is Jesus (John 8:12). He is our 24/7, day-and-night constant. Always before us, guiding us, directing us and lighting our path in the darkness. We may crave bold signs like pillars in the sky, but God has given us the greater wonder of relationship with Light Himself. The light of Christ not only guides us but abides in us. We don’t need to demand Old Testament signs because we have our New Testament promise: Jesus. Through our relationship with Jesus, God is still in the business of using signs, miracles and wonders to light the way for His children. He points us in the right direction as the Holy Spirit whispers in our souls, and He also speaks to and through us in community Hiis people are His hands and feet. Maybe it’s insight you receive from God during your quiet time, or maybe it’s an encouraging text from a friend on a hard day. Maybe it’s flipping to the right Bible verse at the right time or soaking in a sunset God created. It may be less dramatic than the pillar of fire in the desert, but it’s just as powerful. That’s a promise.
When You’re Desperate for a Sign
March 19, 2025
by Meghan Mellinger
“By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.” Exodus 13:21 (NIV)
Sometimes I wish we had a touch of Old Testament drama in today’s world. Hungry and angry?
Look down and find bread from heaven (Exodus 16). Stuck in traffic? Look ahead and find cars parting like the Red Sea (Exodus 14), with one open lane in the middle just for you. (Hold the swarms of bugs and getting swallowed by a whale, please.) But instead of seeing miracles, my heart feels heavy with confusion today. Every area of my life begs the same question: Where am I going?
Jobs. Relationships. Friendships. Projects. Health. In my mind’s wandering, I crave clarity. I’m talking about blinking-neon-light, tell-me-what-to-do, Old-Testament-signs-and-wonders clarity. I’m sure the Israelites also had questions when they fled Egypt for the promised land — especially when they ended up taking the not-so-scenic route for 40 years. In all their wandering, they had to ask: Are we going in the right direction?
But God provided a clear sign: “By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night” (Exodus 13:21).
Our relational God never left His people’s side. He revealed Himself to His people 24/7, day and night. But my favorite thing about this passage? The way God guided them with a tower of light was not just a sign for His people in that moment but a sign of the Light who was coming for all people. The Light of the world is Jesus (John 8:12). He is our 24/7, day-and-night constant. Always before us, guiding us, directing us and lighting our path in the darkness. We may crave bold signs like pillars in the sky, but God has given us the greater wonder of relationship with Light Himself. The light of Christ not only guides us but abides in us. We don’t need to demand Old Testament signs because we have our New Testament promise: Jesus. Through our relationship with Jesus, God is still in the business of using signs, miracles and wonders to light the way for His children. He points us in the right direction as the Holy Spirit whispers in our souls, and He also speaks to and through us in community Hiis people are His hands and feet. Maybe it’s insight you receive from God during your quiet time, or maybe it’s an encouraging text from a friend on a hard day. Maybe it’s flipping to the right Bible verse at the right time or soaking in a sunset God created. It may be less dramatic than the pillar of fire in the desert, but it’s just as powerful. That’s a promise.