Courtney Gilmore “So Moses finished the work. Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting & the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.” Exodus 40:33-34
God’s House was complete & His Spirit came to dwell there. He completely overwhelmed the Tabernacle so that no one else could enter it that day. This cloud of glory continued to lead the people just as it had when they left Egypt the year before. When it moved, they moved. When it stopped, they stopped. The pattern of the Lord’s movement was not predictable & yet the people followed Him. He was revealing His glory to them in the cloud, but He was also revealing His will. Israel trusted Him & obeyed His direction. The cloud led them by day & fire was in it at night. The fire gave them light in the darkness & it gave the Lord continuous visibility. His presence must have been comforting as it reminded the people, along with the surrounding nations, that God was continuously with them to guide & protect.
” The Word became flesh & dwelt among us, & we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14
Years later, Jesus became the glory of God, dwelling among His people, not only in Spirit but also in the flesh. Just like the glory cloud, where He goes, we are to follow. He is our Guiding Light. “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” Believers are called Christians because that word means Christ-follower. So, if we call ourselves Christians, then we need to follow our Christ.
Since He is not here in the flesh anymore, He sent His Holy Spirit, not to dwell in a house, but to be housed in us. Let yourself be overwhelmed by HIs glory. “You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you… But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” Romans 8:9-11
That Holy Spirit reveals the will of God to us & shows us how to follow Jesus. “Walk in the Spirit, & you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit & the Spirit against the flesh, & these are contrary to one another so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” Galatians 5:16-18
We need to be like the Israelites & look to the Lord for direction. When He tells us to move, we need to move. When He tells us to be still, then we need to be still. The pattern of His movement in our own lives may also be unpredictable. We too need to trust Him & know that if He hasn’t moved yet, it is because He wants us where we are. Also, if He moves too quickly or takes us somewhere that we do not want to go, He is Lord. “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Whether we know it or not, we want to be wherever He takes us because that is where His Presence dwells. Being in His will is the most comforting & safe place to be. We need to make sure that He is always visible to us. If not, then we have gotten off the correct path & we need to search diligently for Him until we find Him. “I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me.” Proverbs 8:17
Be filled with His glory! Follow where He leads! Trust & obey!
Excerpt from Episode 74 “Filled with Glory” on Podcast and YouTube
