Exodus 14:19-20 MSG

^“The angel of God that had been leading the camp of Israel now shifted and got behind them. And the Pillar of Cloud that had been in front also shifted to the rear. The Cloud was now between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. The Cloud enshrouded one camp in darkness and flooded the other with light. The two camps didn’t come near each other all night”

We often sing songs in church that tell of God going before us, behind us and around us. We read scripture that explains that we are never alone and that He fights on our behalf. When the going get rough though, and we are in the trenches of difficult seasons, we often tend to become distracted by the chaos and forget that He is for us.

The Angel that had been leading the Israelites out of Egypt (in front of them) shifted and got behind them, as did the Pillar of cloud. What was leading them disappeared from their direct line of sight, and I imagine panic and a sense of abandonment began to creep in. There were un-crossable waters in front of them, and a determined, very real threat behind them.

We have to understand that God’s ways are higher than ours, and He sees and knows things that we don’t. He knows what our futures hold, so therefore He orders our steps right now to prepare us for things down the road. What can appear as a “no” could actually be a ‘not yet” and what we see as things behind lost, is actually God planning to restore in greater measure.

God could see the danger coming at His people, so He repositioned His defense so that they would be completely protected and not caught unaware. He does the same for you and I.

He unquestionably goes before you, behind you and all around you today.

You are never alone.

God always provides a means of escape for His children.

God, I’m choosing today to lift my eyes up to see where my help comes from. I’m thankful that You are my defender, and that You know what is best for my life.