The Assurance of Presence By Ed McDowell

God’s assurance seals his promise.

Moses asks God for assurance that he and the people of Israel will not be asked to take the promised land on their own. He wants to know that God will be with them every step of the way.

“The LORD replied, ‘I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.”

Exodus 33:14, NLT

Reflection

Moses would rather stay put right where they are than take on such a huge challenge without the presence of God: 

“Then Moses said, ‘If you don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place.”

Exodus 33:15, NLT

He has come to understand that God’s presence with them means everything: 

“How will anyone know that you look favorably on me—on me and on your people—if you don’t go with us? For your presence among us sets your people and me apart from all other people on the earth.”

 Exodus 33:16, NLT

The Lord’s response is clear: 

“The LORD replied, ‘I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.”

Moses wants more assurance than just God’s word: 

“Moses responded, ‘Then show me your glorious presence.”

 Exodus 33:18, NLT

God does show Moses His glorious presence in a way Moses can handle:

“The LORD replied, ‘I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, Yahweh, before you. For I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose. But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live.” The LORD continued, “Look, stand near me on this rock. As my glorious presence passes by, I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and let you see me from behind. But my face will not be seen.”

 Exodus 33:19-23, NLT

As a person and a leader of many, what Moses wanted more than anything else was the promise of God’s presence in everything he did.

Encouragement

May the desire of Moses be ours as well: That God be with us as we live into the things he has called us to be and do. Be it taking on a “promised land” initiative or faithfully being present for someone going through a challenging time, may our hearts cry out for God to be with us in it all.

A beautiful truth is available to all of us following Christ right now. The Holy Spirit is with us. The promise of God’s presence is realized every day. Take time to dwell in God’s presence.

You and I are not doing life on our own right now. God is with us!

Prayer

Dear Jesus,

Thank you for the promise that your presence will be with us through the Holy Spirit. We thank you for being with us as we live for you and do your will.

Thank you for the reminder. Moses reminds us: We never want to live or lead in our own strength, apart from you and your presence. 

Your presence means everything to us. Thank you for keeping your promise then, and for keeping it now.

In your name, Jesus, we pray,

Amen

Ed McDowell is the CEO of Warm Beach Camp Ministries. He also coaches and consults on board leadership and development, bringing fresh perspectives to perplexing situations. Ed authorizes a devotional series titled A Well-Planted Faith in an Uprooted Culture. His writing and speaking aim to challenge people to have God’s Word inform how they live. Ed and his wife, Bev, live on Camano Island, Washington, where they live out their mission statement: “To give our lives away for the cause of Jesus Christ to as many people as possible. “

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