The Presence of God

We live in a culture that places a premium on human reason. The Savoy business manager and the cunning strategist are in high demand. We are affected by the thinking of our society more than we realize. God wants us to follow and obey Him. We pray "Thy Kingdom come, Your will be done..." We as believers often come up with a plan and ask God to bless it. Moses knew without God's presence, he was toast. Note his appeal to the Lord. "If your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here" (Exodus 33:15). One great danger in Christian service is to become complacent in our daily duties. At such a time God often allows a crisis to arise which forces us back to our knees. This is usually when we cry out to God, asking for His Presence to return, and for His blessing to again be seen on our lives and service. Things were going well for Moses as he led the people out of Egypt. Then God called him to Mt. Horeb, the mountain of God, to receive the Ten Commandments. While he was on the mount, the people fell away from the Lord by returning to the ways of Egypt and building and worshiping a golden calf under Aaron's command. They didn't just fall away, they fell away to the ways of Egypt. This brought tragic results. God's presence left the people. When Moses came down and saw what had happened, he immediately saw the solution. Having God's presence return was the only way they could go forward and have success. "How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?" (Ex 33:16). Do others see the presence of God in your current activities? Are you doing God's work in God's way, for His glory? Do you see His finger prints all over your activities? If not, ask Him to show up, and don't take another step without Him. Let us determine in our hearts, If He doesn't go with us, we won't go. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.