January 29th Devotion

Pursuing God’s Presence
By Jennifer Slattery

Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.” The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. – Exodus 33:12-15

While at an event intended to encourage and inspire women in ministry, I sensed God asking me to step down from mine. This was both difficult and welcomed. I grieved as I reflected upon all the ways the Lord had grown the organization from four local speakers to a team of 30 with global impact. But I knew it was time to walk away. I’d been rushing from one event and project to the next for so long, I’d lost my joy and my vision. Worse, obligation had clouded God’s voice. I needed space to simply rest in Him, and so I relinquished my position and my team to someone else and spent the next year rediscovering the beauty and goodness of God.

While the Lord never asked Moses, the man called to lead His newly freed people, to abdicate his role, today’s passage indicates he would’ve done so without hesitation. If you’re familiar with Scripture, you might remember the circumstances surrounding his and God’s conversation. Shortly prior, God summoned Moses to Mt. Sinai to give him and the ancient Hebrews instructions regarding how to love Him and one another well. Moses remained on the mountain for forty days and forty nights. In his absence, the people regressed to their old ways, talked Moses’s brother into making them a calf idol, and worshiped it in shamefully sinful ways.

God was not pleased! He told Moses that He would do everything He’d said. He would bring the Israelites to the agriculturally rich land He’d long promised them and their forefathers, and He would drive out all of its occupants. Only, He would do this through an angel. He Himself wouldn’t accompany them. In other words, Moses could receive all of the blessings—achievement, respect, and prestige—without God.

Moses determined such success came at too high a cost. He prioritized God’s presence above everything else, and was willing to relinquish all else to retain it. I used to think this was because he recognized he couldn’t complete his assignment without the Lord. But remember, God had already assured him of the outcome. It seems, then, that Moses valued his relationship with the Lord more than anything God could or would do for him or through him.

Moses had experienced the truth later recorded in Psalm 16:11, which reads, “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (NIV, emphasis mine).

Intersecting Life & Faith:
Many, if not most of us, recognize our desperate need for God. We’ve experienced the sweetness of praising Him in a sanctuary filled with His Spirit and His people. We know the peace of privately, silently, kneeling before Him. We’ve benefited from His supernatural strength replacing our weakness, and we’ve relished the comfort of His tender embrace.

Those are moments we wish would never end, while we’re in them. But then, we get busy and distracted by our calendars and agendas. And suddenly, we forget. At least, I do. I lose sight of how beautiful life is, when lived in close connection with my Savior, until my soul becomes depleted. Then, I remember how much I not only need Him, but crave Him. Thankfully, He remains with us, even when we forget Him, gently, but steadily, drawing us back.

But I’d rather turn to Him before I land in that spiritual desert. One of the best ways to avoid that harsh and discouraging space is to make spiritual disciplines, like prayer and Bible reading, a habit. The more they become a regular part of our lives, the more Jesus becomes a consistent part of our lives as well.