The Cloud Moves

In early January we met with a pastor of or church to discuss the calling God had placed on our lives. In his wisdom he asked good questions like; where will you go? What will you do? How will you serve? And how long? We did not have any answers to these questions. I felt complete inadequate. So I made a list of all the skills and strengths that we have as a family, for myself, Jennifer, and even Lucy. I began praying over the list and asked God to “go before us.” In Exodus Moses asked the same question of God as the children of Israel wondered around the wilderness.  

Then Moses said to him, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” Exodus 33:15

That was the prayer. How can we go anywhere or do anything unless you go with us?

In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the Israelites during all their travels. Exodus 40:36-38

I asked God to be my cloud. And unless I see the cloud go I will stay put.

We had contacted a couple of mission agencies just to see what opportunities were out there. One day while praying over the list the phone rang. It was Missionary Ventures. They said we have this urgent need in Peru. Over the next couple of days we talked to them and found out more about the need there and I began to realize that the needs in Peru were exactly the same as the list I made of our skills. Crazy. The cloud was moving.

Again I went back to the list and began to pray over it, asking God to go before us. Then He revealed to me, he had already gone before us. Before I ever knew it. He had been preparing us for years! My mechanical and problem solving skills. Jennifer’s knowledge of nutrition and maternal care. Lucy’s innate desire to love children. Wow!

It is amazing to think that we serve a God who can prepare us for a task without us even knowing. What has God prepared you for?

~Josh