The Israelites in the wilderness were continually exposed to change.

Whenever the pillar stayed its motion, the tents were pitched; but tomorrow, ere the morning sun had risen, the trumpet sounded, the ark was in motion, and the fiery, cloudy pillar was leading the way through the narrow defiles of the mountain, up the hillside, or along the arid waste of the wilderness.

They had scarcely time to rest a little before they heard the sound of “Away! this is not your rest; you must still be onward journeying towards Canaan!”

They were never long in one place.

Even wells and palm trees could not detain them.

Yet they had an abiding home in their God, His cloudy pillar was their roof-tree, and its flame by night their household fire.

They must go onward from place to place, continually changing, never having time to settle, and to say, “Now we are secure; in this place we shall dwell.”

“Yet,” says Moses, “though we are always changing, Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place throughout all generations.”

The Christian knows no change with regard to God.

He may be rich to-day and poor to-morrow; he may be sickly to-day and well to-morrow; he may be in happiness to-day, to-morrow he may be distressed — but there is no change with regard to his relationship to God.

If He loved me yesterday, He loves me to-day.

My unmoving mansion of rest is my blessed Lord.

Let prospects be blighted; let hopes be blasted; let joy be withered; let mildews destroy everything; I have lost nothing of what I have in God.

He is “my strong habitation whereunto I can continually resort.”

I am a pilgrim in the world, but at home in my God.

In the earth I wander, but in God I dwell in a quiet habitation.

His eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings. There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.—Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? . . . Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord .

Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; . . . nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness . . . Because thou hast made the Lord , which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation; there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.—He that keepeth thee will not slumber. The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.

Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not. And he was afraid and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.

I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord , only, makest me dwell in safety.

Because thou hast made the Lord , which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.—When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.—So he giveth his beloved sleep.