Have you ever gone through a time when you didn’t feel God’s presence? Having just experienced times of growth and seeing Him so clearly, suddenly you feel He has abandoned you. You seek Him but you cannot find Him. Where you once felt God guiding and protecting you, you now feel alone. Though once clearly seeing His presence, your situation has now clouded your view, and you cannot see Him.

The children of Isreal had just escaped from Egypt after witnessing God’s power through countless plagues against the Egyptians. The Pharaoh refused to let the people go until the last, deadly plague finally led to their release. They marched out of the land taking with them their families and their livestock, along with the bounty of the Egyptians. They were finally free after over 400 years of slavery.
As they began their return to the Promised land, God went before them. He gave them a visible reminder of His presence.

“And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.” (Exodus 13:21-22)

Day and night they saw God was with them through the pillar of cloud or fire. He never left them. They had clearly seen His power in Egypt, and this same God who claimed them as His own was their Guide and Protector as they journeyed to a new land. Yet, when they saw the Egyptians pursuing them, they cried out in fear. Their fear kept them from seeing the pillar leading their way. Moses, however, reminded them God had delivered them, God led them, and now God would fight for them.

“And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” (Exodus 14:13-14)

The pillar that guided the children of Israel moved behind them, causing darkness to fall on the Egyptians but the pillar on the side of the Israelites still gave light. Even in the midst of a dark moment when they took their focus off of Him, God’s light continued to remind them of His presence while God fought their battle, defeating the Egyptians and ending the darkness of their plight.

Sometimes the light of God’s presence is clouded in darkness as we focus on what is taking place rather than Him. We let the feelings caused by our surroundings cloud what we know about Him. It is not our battle that should be our focus, rather the One who is battling for us. God calls us to keep our focus on Him as He guides us through the midst of the battle, standing firm, unafraid. With our trust back in Him, what was always visible in now felt. We see Him.

Don’t draw on your feelings, focus on God’s promises. As you seek God and trust Him through the darkness, you will find Him – sometimes in a still small voice, sometimes in an amazing work. Let the truth of God be your light reminding you that He is there even when your feelings lead you to think otherwise. Let the light of the truth about God lead you back to Him. He is there.