A Pillar of Cloud

“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)

I received some troublesome news last week when my good friend Abby called to tell me she had just been diagnosed with malignant melanoma. The news left my stomach tied in knots as she told me how she had carried her burden alone for several days, not wanting to spoil Thanksgiving for her family.

For the next few days my mind was continually occupied with concern for her prognosis, despite the fact that she had told me she was feeling at “peace”.

Eight years ago as I sought treatment for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Abby along with our mutual friends, had felt that same concern for me. It had never been clear why my friends were more concerned about my diagnosis than I was, but today as I replayed Abby’s announcement in my head, my thoughts paused on her words “at peace”, and I finally understood.

Peace is a reassurance of just how intricately God is involved in our lives. When our world is full of uncertainties and unknowns, God steps in and gives us His peace. I remembered having that same peace as I battled my cancer, a peace that can only come from God, His special gift. It is a peace that tells our innermost being that he is in control and that he’s got our back; a peace that Paul says transcends all understanding.

Before Abby ever received her disturbing diagnosis, God had surrounded her with his peace.

I recalled her story about the day she had heard the news. She had decided to spend the day at a shopping mall an hour away from home and left early that morning in order to be there when the stores opened.

As she headed south on I-75 towards her destination, the weather began to change. In an instant she found herself in a total cloud of a steamy rain/fog mixture and she was unable to see more than a few feet in front of her. The semi tractor trailers surrounding her vehicle further contributed to obscuring her vision as their tires sprayed the rainy mixture onto her windshield. Their giant frames often veered into her lane.

With her heart beating rapidly and her white knuckles clutching the steering wheel, she began to wonder if she would come out of this predicament alive. She knew that just ahead were curves that she would not be able to see. “Help me Lord”, she prayed silently,


A few minutes later the fog and clouds suddenly cleared and the pavement dried. Relieved to have weathered the storm and to have arrived safely at her destination, she thanked God for his protection.

Walking out to her car later in the afternoon her cell phone announced that she had a message waiting. It was the doctor’s office calling. Returning the call, she heard her doctor’s voice saying, “I have some bad news.”

As I listened intently to Abby’s story I couldn’t help but visualize the loving arms of God surrounding her as she learned the news and suddenly the words of Exodus 13:21 popped into my head. “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.

In my NIV Life Application Study Bible the notes explain: “The pillars of fire and clouds were examples of theophany-God appearing in a physical form. In this form, God lighted Israel’s path, protected them from their enemies, provided reassurance, controlled their movements, and inspired the burning zeal that Israel should have for their God.”

God is still in the business of guiding people’s paths today, and I believe he did that in a special way for Abby that day. For he knew that ahead of her she would find curves that would leave her wondering if she would come through her storm alive; and semi’s threatening to crush her along the way.

But God went before her in a pillar of cloud that day to remind her that she has been surrounded with His peace and to give her the reassurance that He will be with her for whatever comes her way.

What a faithful God we serve, a God who pauses from the business of running the universe and reveals his love and goodness just when we need it the most.

Father, thank you for being a God who knows just what we need even when we don’t know we need it. Thank you for being a God who heals, a God who comforts and most of all a God who loves us more than we can ever know. Help us Lord, to always remember that in every cloud that enters our life, you are there in its midst.