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A group of expert skiers taught some blind people to ski zigzag downhill. First, they taught them how to ski on flat land. Then they taught them how to make right and left turns. When they mastered that, the skiers took them downhill. As they went along, the sighted skiers would shout “Left” or “Right.” By obeying these commands, the blind skiers reached the finish line. That helps to illustrate how God led his people through the wilderness. God showed up as a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night. As a pillar of cloud or fire, God directed their journey. We read this in Exodus 13, “When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. God said, “If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and go back to Egypt.” So using the pillar, God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea. The pillar symbolized not only God’s presence to guide them, but also to protect them, to remind them of God’s goodness and faithfulness, and to inspire them to keep going. Likewise, when we trust and obey God, He will guide us along the best path for our lives. He will not always lead us in the way we think we ought to go, but He will lead us along the best route.
