OBEDIENCE

1 Corinthians 10:1  Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, that all passed through the sea, 

Not to revisit ancient history, but to learn the lessons that determine whether a redeemed people actually enter the promises of God or spend their lives wandering just short of them. This journey starts where Paul starts: with a warning, not a celebration. He says, “I do not want you to be unaware.” Ignorance was not Israel’s problem. They were immersed in evidence of God’s power. They saw the cloud. They crossed the sea. They experienced deliverance firsthand. Yet experience did not produce maturity, and proximity to God did not produce obedience.

The Exodus exposes a sobering truth: A people can witness miracles and still resist transformation. Spiritual encounters — even historic ones — do not automatically shape character. God’s power can be present while hearts remain unchanged. Paul makes it clear that revelation carries weight. Once the truth is revealed, neutrality is no longer an option. Light does not merely illuminate — it reveals & judges what refuses to align.

This passage is not preserved for admiration but for warning. The generation that came out of Egypt was not lacking signs; they were lacking surrender. They were not lost in darkness — they were standing in light …. and still choosing to major in minors & unbelief. And Paul says plainly: these things were written for us. The closer a people are to God’s promise, the more dangerous complacency & procrastination becomes, Matt.25, concerning the 5 foolish virgins.

This is the beginning of a sober journey. The Exodus confronts every generation with the same question: Will we allow revelation to shape us, or will we simply carry memories of what God once did? The wilderness is filled with people who were redeemed but never transformed. History shows us that deliverance without discipleship leads to delay, and familiarity with God without reverence leads to loss.  “Familiarity breeds contempt,” is a true proverb.

Heaven is not calling us to watch revival from a distance, but to become vessels fully yielded to God. The Lord is not asking us to recount past encounters—He is calling us into present obedience. The light released in our lifetime is meant to transform, not merely inform, and it demands realignment. What God reveals needs to be obeyed, and what He exposes must be surrendered. This warning is not condemnation but mercy ahead of harvest. The fields are ready, the move of God is near, and the time to respond is now.  

Exodus 13:21-22  And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. 22 He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people. 

The children of Israel lived beneath one of the most visible manifestations of God’s presence ever revealed. The cloud was constant — covering them by day, becoming fire by night. It marked God’s nearness, His protection, and His leadership. It told them when to move, when to stop, and where to go. Yet Paul makes a sobering point: being under the cloud did not keep them from rebellion. The presence of God was undeniable, but obedience remained selective.

The cloud was not given as an atmosphere to enjoy, but as an authority to obey.  It did not exist to inspire awe alone; it existed to direct movement. Revival always comes with direction. When the cloud moved, they were expected to move. When it rested, they were to remain. The failure of the wilderness generation was not a lack of visitation, but a refusal to follow God’s leading beyond comfort. They wanted the covering of His presence without the cost of submission.

This is the danger every revival generation must face. It is possible to experience the manifest presence of God and still resist His rule. A people can shout, weep, and worship under the cloud while quietly refusing to align their lives with its direction. Presence reveals God’s nearness — but obedience reveals whether revival will be sustained or squandered.

Revival is not proven by atmosphere alone; it is proven by alignment. We may celebrate what God is doing while ignoring what He is correcting. But the cloud was never given to be admired — it was given to be followed. When God’s presence becomes familiar but His leadership becomes optional, movement stops and wandering begins.

God is calling us beyond moments of visitation into lives of submission (discipleship). His presence is not poured out for excitement alone, but for transformation. If we follow the cloud (Holy Spirit) without hesitation, we will not wander — we will carry revival forward.   George Baltimore,   
Worthy Brief <worthybrief@worthynetwork.com&gt;

Ken Here:
This truth is so deep and needed today that I hope we will not only saturate ourselves but pass it along.  I consider George, an Elder & an Apostle for this age and a voice for the Holy Spirit.  So where are we?  At this moment in time what has the Holy Spirit in trusted to our care.  With me, remembering to take tracts with me to town, go to be on time. What does the Holy Spirit want to teach about each week.  How to best love the souls who live here to help them get closer to Jesus as LORD.  How to put on the mind of Christ Jesus and become like Him. 1 Peter 4:1, “So, since Christ suffered in the flesh for us, for you, arm yourselves with the same thought and purpose [patiently to suffer rather than fail to please God]. For whoever has suffered in the flesh [having the mind of Christ] is done with [intentional] sin [has stopped pleasing himself and this world, to please God],”

So in our quest to become like Jesus, there is no option but to learn to love and embrace His commandments and to become like HIM, Rom 8:13, “For if you live according to [the dictates of] the flesh, you will surely die. But if through the power of the [Holy] Spirit you are [habitually] putting to death (making extinct, deadening) the [evil] deeds prompted by the body, you shall [really and genuinely] live forever.”  John 12:24-26 & 1 John 4:16-17.