Clouds By Day-Moving Forward

8.02.2008.Sermon.Guidance by Cloud and Fire

By William Akehurst, HSWC

Clouds by day – Moving Forward

Songs “Where He Leads me I will follow”

“Everywhere I go I See You” Michael W. Smith

Exodus 13:21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:

Proverbs 3:5-6

5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Whether in a fog or darkness, our Lord will lead and guide us. He uses different ways to lead and guide us along the way, but as long as we follow Him, He will lead us.

Clouds by Day

Day = when it is light and we can see clearly

Clouds=shade, and protection,

Protection-Compare Psalm 91:4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

Cloudy can also mean, foggy, hazy, can’t see through.

Cloudy, foggy

Can’t see far

Can’t see through

But can be led by it.

Acknowledge the LORD, and he will direct you.

How many times has your direction in life been a little bit foggy, or cloudy?

But you needed to put your trust in the Lord even though you couldn’t see the ‘future’ due to the cloud.

God reveals to each of us, what we are to see, and hides what we are not, until His time and purpose.

Driving in fog, slow down, lights on low, watch the road carefully. Keeping an eye on the lines, keeping on the path.

As you drive through a cloud, or fog, you see just enough to keep going, but you go carefully.

Fire by Night

Surrounded by darkness, led by the light, can see the light and as we near it, it gets brighter and brighter. We can see to move forward towards the light.

Psalm 43:3

Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me…

When we are in darkness and despair, God is the light at the end of the tunnel.

John 8:12 Jesus said

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

God is the light

Keep moving forward, towards HIM.

I SEE YOU by Michael W. Smith

G/E (throughout whole verse)

Lord You’re leading me

With a cloud by day

And then in the night

The glow of a burning flame

C/A

And everywhere I go I see You

(And everywhere I go I see You)

G/E

And everywhere I go I see You

(And everywhere I go I see You)

And You take my hand

And You wash it clean

I know the promised land

Is light years ahead of me

And the eagle flies

And the rivers run

I look through the night

And I can see the rising sun

Well the grass will die

And the flowers fall

But your word’s alive

And will be after all