Exodus 33:14-15 AMP
[14] And the Lord said, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest [by bringing you and the people into the promised land].” [15] And Moses said to Him, “If Your presence does not go [with me], do not lead us up from here.
We have alll been here before, where utter confusion reigns and you are unsure what to do or how to move forward. Life would have thrown curve balls at you, and there will not be too many good choices available to make, but it is at these times that the verses above provide clarity and guidance on what is quite appropriate for the season or dispensation you may be in. Moses had been leading a group of disobedient and rebellious people to the land of promise. These people had tested both God's and Moses' patience, and it is still a wonder that they had not been completely destroyed. God is a study in patience, and even the whole of this earthly lifetime is not enough to know all there is to know about God, but the bits He reveals to us helps us know who He is, and how best to relate with Him, so we can enjoy the best of Him.
Moses had learnt, and it will do us good to also learn, that outside of God, we are done for. Life will be a mess, and also end badly, if God were to leave us to our own devices and decisions. Even when Israel kept on sinning, God would not totally abandon them. Even when Moses would, in a fit of anger, publicly disobey God and end his journey into Canaan before he could get in, God would still not abandon His own. There is a blessing that is attached to the right identity that is difficult to explain. Reflect on the words above, and you would think that they were said to people who were perfect and blameless. By the grace of God, I have now learnt that God does not first call the qualifed; He knows our frame, that we are weak, so He will do all He can to get us to the place where we should be, and where His glory can be made manifest in and through us.
God is saying here: my presence is critical for your survival. My presence is fundamental to your earthly impact. Moses understood this when he responded to God's promise by declaring that he would not be setting out at all, if God was not coming with them. Like Israel, do not trust in man-made schemes and devices; trust only in God. Do not put your faith in the created, which always have life spans and expiry dates. Put your complete trust in the One with no beginning or end, and who does not sleep, slumber, get tired or forget any of His promises. Like Moses, be determined to wait on God for all of life's questions. Remember: God does not force Himself on anyone, and He will not go against the exercise of my freewill, but be sure that He will display His power in the life of anyone who dares to give Him control. As always, the decision is mine to make. What would you do? God's time of favour is here.
No comments:
Post a Comment