Moses did exactly as the Lord had commanded him.  On the first day of the first month of the second year the Dwelling was erected (Ex 40:16-17).  The text tells us that the Dwelling houses the Ark, containing the commandments, and that the glory of the Lord will fill it in the form of a cloud.  Why instruct Moses to build a Dwelling?  God knows what the Israelites need at this stage of their journey.  Perhaps God hopes the people will come to understand their wilderness journey is more than the physical transition to a new home.  It is a journey of spiritual conversion, similar to our spiritual journey, and the Dwelling place is the tangible reminder that God will not abandon them.    

The Israelites leave Egypt to escape slavery, searching for a home and freedom.  The trip begins with exuberance, but like any significant change, the reality of stepping into the unknown challenges their resolve.  They fear death at the hands of the pharaoh’s soldiers.  They worry about starving or dying of thirst and complain about their struggles.  They long to return to the comforts of Egypt as if forgetting the burdens of slavery.  They question their decision to follow God and Moses.  The presence of the Dwelling is a symbol they have chosen the right path.       

We commit to a spiritual practice or discern to begin something new, only to encounter stumbling blocks that cause us to doubt our choices and temptations that whisper, give up and turn back.  This is too hard.  In those moments, we seek to know God continues to accompany us.  We want assurance we are on the right path.  God knows my needs, so what is the Dwelling place I might not recognize but is already with me?   

When the Israelites see the cloud settling over the Dwelling place, they know it is time to rest, heal wounds, and seek God.  It is a time to notice how far they have traveled, physically and spiritually, and how they are moving toward home with God.   

We experience physical, emotional, or spiritual exhaustion during our journey.  Stepping away from our hectic paces, we can gift ourselves the opportunity to spend time with God.  With God as our companion, we can mourn what or who we have lost, notice the aching places within us, and recall our stories.  God longs for us to stop, rest, and reintegrate our experiences through the lens of faith.  Is God telling me this is a time to rest in God?  

As the cloud rises from the Dwelling, the children of Israel resume their journey.  The movement of the cloud symbolizes it is time to pack what is necessary and leave behind anything unimportant for what comes next.  There is more life to experience and opportunities to grow closer to God. 

If we are attentive to the present moments of our life, we notice the clues that it is time to proceed.  Perhaps it is the Daily Readings, during a time of prayer, something a person we trust says, or something else.  We might feel that a cloud of doubt or hesitancy has lifted.  Perhaps we feel lighter, or there is greater clarity about what to leave behind and what we need to go forward.  How is God nudging me forward, and what do I need to leave behind?
Today’s reading ends by telling us the Cloud and Dwelling stayed with the Israelites in all stages of their journey.  The physical presence of God these symbols represent is what they need for their faith journey.  The Dwelling place that guides us is not a physical tent with the Ark and commandments or a cloud, but it is what God knows we need.  It is the space deep within our hearts and souls where God dwells through all stages of our journey.  We only need to ask; this space then opens up, drawing us nearer to God.  Have I asked God to help me find my Dwelling place? 

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God (Ps 84)