Day 9:
Then he said to Him, “If
Your Presence does not go with us,
do not bring us up from
here.”
Exodus 33:15 NKJV
Hey! Great, you’re here! Hurry up and sit down, we’re right at the
good part of a great Bible story. Just
to catch you up really quick, the hard-headed Children of Israel just got
caught having a wild party around a golden calf that they made while they were
supposed to wait for Moses to return from Mt. Sinai. Even after the troublemakers
were eliminated, God’s anger still burned against them. (You’ve ever been that mad? Even after the punishment has been dealt and
the smoke cleared, you were still fuming? Yep. Multiply that by a gazillion and
it’s still nowhere near how angry God was.)
So then God tells Moses, "Go and take those folks you brought with you out of
Egypt. I’ll send help, but I’m not going
because I might just kill you before you get to the Promised Land". Tough words huh? But considering how mad He was at them, it seemed fair enough though,
right? God still offered to provide help even
though He wouldn't physically be there…
Ok, back to our scripture: “Then he said to Him, ‘If
Your Presence does not go with us,
do not bring us up from here’.” Moses wasn’t having
any of that! The angel… yeah it’s a heavenly
being and all, but it’s not God! Moses would have rather been left right there
than to take one step forward without his Lord.
So, in light of yesterday’s scripture prayer, I’d
like us to reread today's scripture and consider what this scripture means for us today.
We will be presented “good” options this school year and in life
itself. Think about it, there was nothing inherently
wrong with the Angel of the Lord taking them. Angels are God’s messengers. They are God’s warriors. They do His bidding on
our behalf. They are from heaven!! They
are good… but they are not God!
If you read the chapter in its entirety, you’ll see
that Moses proudly wears his “Child of God” hat and uses that as a reason why
God has to go with them. If we are to wear that hat proudly, we’re going
to have to make that same declaration. Why? Because there will be “good”
opportunities for us, for our students, for our family, for our church, but God
may not be in them. It may have a “heavenly
presence”, it’s protected, and it gets accomplished… but God is not in it.
So, what’s the big deal? What’s the difference? To Moses, God’s presence wasn’t just about
the Children of Israel arriving safely at their place of destination. Moses was concerned about preserving the
appearance of God’s grace [grace- the unmerited favor of God]. Belonging to God wouldn’t look so special to
the nation around them, if His presence wasn’t with them. He didn’t just want to look good in the hat,
he wanted the hat to look good on him!
The same holds true for us today. The grace of God, which was gifted to us when
we received salvation and the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ, should set us apart
from those around us. We should be proof that it is advantageous to serve God. There is a difference between "promoting God" and being identified as His.
Here are a few things I want to clarify before we
pray:
1)
God’s presence doesn’t mean you will have a challenge-free year. In fact, God may use
challenges for people to see His power working on your behalf.
2)
God’s presence doesn’t mean you don’t have to do
your job! The bible tells us that whatever we work at, we are to work at it as
unto the Lord. Yes, we seek God for answers, but we have to follow through with
the actual work.
3)
God’s presence doesn’t mean all of your students
will pass the state benchmarks, (but I have seen a miracle or two in my day 😊)
4)
Having God’s presence should be evident in your demeanor
and in your reputation among your peers, students, and your family. *God’s presence will
reflect His image.
Remember, let's determine to do life with God.
Today’s prayer:
Lord Jesus,
Our prayer today is for You to lead the way. Give
us the desire for Your presence. Give us the ability to detect Your presence. May
we be able to discern between the “good” choice and the “God” choices in our
lives. Help us to cultivate a climate in
our homes, our classrooms and schools, and even in our conversations so that
You would want to be there. We thank You
for Your angels that encamp around our schools, on the buses, at the bus stops,
on the playground, in the cafeterias, and in each and every classroom. We thank
You for Your angelic protection as we travel to and from our schools every day.
But Lord Jesus, we want more. We want
Your presence. We want You to be in the room
with us…manifested…breathing…active…in us.
Bless us with Your grace this school year.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
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