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Visit Grace House Church in Florence, AL

Grace House is a Spirit-filled, non-denominational church located at 389 Seville St, Florence, AL 35630, serving Florence, Muscle Shoals, and the greater Shoals region.

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Grace House – 389 Seville St, Florence AL

The following blog is a summary of a message preached by Pastor Eddie Lawrence.

Watch the Sermon HERE!

As we approach a new year, many of us are reflecting on our spiritual journey and wondering how we can walk more closely with God. The story of Israel's exodus from Egypt offers powerful lessons about following God's guidance in our daily lives.

What Does It Mean to Follow God's Leading?

In the Old Testament, God led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt using a visible cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. This wasn't just a practical navigation tool - it was God's way of teaching His people to follow His timing and direction completely.

Today, as New Testament believers, we have something even better. The Holy Spirit lives within us, guiding and directing our steps. Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me." This is part of our spiritual birthright.

Why God's Presence Must Be Our Priority

Relationship Over Religious Activity

The first lesson from Israel's journey is that God's presence is the plan. God wasn't just trying to get the Israelites from point A to point B - He wanted to establish a relationship where they would learn to follow His leadership.

We can easily fall into the trap of substituting religious activities for genuine relationship with God. Reading our Bible, praying, giving, and witnessing are all good things, but they should flow from our union with Christ, not become boxes we check to get back to what we really want to do.

The Heart Behind Our Obedience

It's possible to obey God's voice while missing His heart. When we follow God's leading reluctantly or with the wrong attitude, we may technically obey but miss the blessing He intended. God wants our whole heart, not just our compliance.

The question we must ask ourselves is: "Is what I am doing for Him more important than being with Him?" Both are important, but our priority should be that close, heart-to-heart relationship with Jesus Christ.

How Do We Stay Under God's Covering?

Trusting God's Timing

The second lesson is to stay under your covering. The Israelites had to follow the cloud's movements - when it stopped, they stopped; when it moved, they moved. This required complete trust in God's timing.

God often doesn't take us the shortest route to our destination. When the Israelites left Egypt, God deliberately avoided the quickest path through Philistine territory because He knew they weren't ready for that level of warfare. Sometimes what looks like the easiest way isn't God's way because He knows we need training and preparation.

Avoiding Presumption and Procrastination

Two dangers threaten our ability to stay under God's covering:

Presumption - Moving ahead without asking God, assuming we know what He wants based on past experiences.

Procrastination - Staying put when God is clearly moving, often due to fear or comfort with our current situation.

The key question is: "Am I willing to fully trust God's timing for my life?" This means being willing to stop when He says stop and start when He says start.

What Does It Mean to Stay by the Fire in Darkness?

Finding Light in Difficult Seasons

The third lesson is to choose to stay by the fire in the darkness. The pillar of fire provided warmth, light, and protection during the dangerous night hours in the wilderness.

Spiritually, this represents those seasons when we're in storms, trials, or uncertainty. We may not know what's coming, but God already sees it. When we don't know what to do, God still does. When it seems like He's not there, He always is.

Tending the Flame of Relationship

Staying by the fire means actively maintaining our relationship with God during difficult times:

  • Staying in God's Word
  • Maintaining a posture of prayer
  • Stirring up the gifts within us
  • Keeping our relationship with Him fresh and alive

 

The enemy doesn't mind religious routine, but he fears believers who are in living union with Christ, hearing His voice and operating in spiritual authority.

How Do We Follow the Cloud Instead of the Crowd?

Standing Firm in a Noisy World

The final lesson is to determine to follow the cloud instead of the crowd. We live in an age of unprecedented voices and information. Whatever we want to hear, we can find someone to support it. Whatever lifestyle we want to justify, we can find encouragement for it.

This is why we must know God's Word and develop our vertical relationship with Him. We need to turn down the volume on all the competing voices and be more intentional about hearing from God.

The Courage to Stand Alone

Sometimes following God means standing where others won't stand or doing what others won't do. While we're stronger together, our hearts need the courage to follow God even if no one else will.

The question is: "Though none go with me, will I still follow?" Our commitment to follow Christ must be independent of what others choose to do.

Life Application

This week, commit to developing a more sensitive ear to God's voice. Start each day by asking Him what He wants to accomplish through you. Before making decisions, take time to inquire of the Lord rather than assuming you know what He wants.

Practice turning down the volume on competing voices - social media, news, opinions of others - and spend more intentional time in prayer and God's Word. Look for opportunities to step out in faith when you sense His prompting, even if it feels uncomfortable.

 

Questions for Reflection:

  • What is keeping me from pursuing a deeper relationship with God?
  • Am I more focused on doing things for God or being with God?
  • In what areas of my life am I struggling to trust God's timing?
  • How can I better distinguish between God's voice and the crowd's voice in my daily decisions?

 

Remember, you are God's sheep and you can hear His voice. He wants to guide you into His best for your life, but it requires staying close to Him and following His lead rather than running ahead or lagging behind.

 

Staying in Step with God

A blog from Grace House Church in Florence, Alabama, focused on walking with God consistently through the leading of the Holy Spirit.

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