Where there's smoke...

For the last few days my neighbourhood has smelled like a giant campfire. Just a few kilometres from the YWAM base firefighters set a controlled burn last weekend to get rid of dry grass. It hasn’t rained for 55 days and the humidity is really low. But, the controlled fire jumped some sort of barrier and set a bushfire. Welcome to Australia I suppose!

(You can check out some photos of the fire here....)

I was travelling back from the downtown area on Saturday and could see the smoke cloud from there. As I got closer to my neighbourhood, that’s when I realized how close the fire was. Then on Sunday night, when walking in the hill-top car park at church, I could see the glowing red flames of the fire in the tree-lined slopes in the distance. I never felt unsafe, and thankfully the fire is now almost extinguished. But seeing the smoke and flames gave me a better idea of what the Israelites may have seen tracking with them through the desert for forty years.

Day after day the Israelites had a pillar of cloud to guide them through the wilderness. And night after night a pillar of fire blazed before their camp. Yet, even though God’s presence was right in front of their faces – day and night – they still woke up some days forgetting about Him: 

He guided them with the cloud by day, and with light from the fire all night…But they continued to sin against him, rebelling in the desert against the Most High.
                  Psalm 78:14, 17

How is this possible? How could the Israelites forget God, when they had a daily, physical reminder of His presence? Not just the presence, but miracles too – manna, water, a parting ocean!

I am just like the Israelites. I too forget God’s presence…His provision…His blessings…His mercy. I wake up some mornings thinking, “if only this were to happen God, things would be better.” Yet, I know He has done amazing things in my life.

There are pillars of cloud and fire in my life every day too. I simply need to keep my eyes open to them. God has provided money from me when I need it for rent or food. He has healed – much quicker than should be – my body from colds, pink eye or a sprained ankle. God has set me up with my own bedroom (a massive blessing in YWAM), and continually uses me to guide other people to Him.

I’m so blessed. I’m understanding how important it is to remember those blessings as the best way to never forget God’s presence.

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I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider your mighty deeds. Psalm 77:11-12