Experiencing God’s presence ∙

Experiencing God’s presence ∙

My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest. – Exodus 33:14

Exodus 3:7-12

 7 Then the LORD told him, “I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering.”

 8 “So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey . . ..”

 9 “Look! The cry of the people of Israel has reached me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them.”

 10 “Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.”

 11 But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?”

 12 God answered, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.”

Life can be challenging, but it’s essential to keep pushing forward. It’s crucial to embrace the irony of difficult experiences and find assurance and solace in the Father’s presence in the midst of them.

“Life is so ironic. It takes sadness to know happiness, noise to appreciate silence, and absence to value presence” (Lessons Learned In Life).

In the midst of our difficult circumstances, faith grows and becomes great.

The presence of the Father in our lives creates the foundation for confidence and faith. He provides security, a future, and hope.

The Father tasked Moses with a daunting, overwhelming task. He was filled with doubts, uncertainties, and questions. He was to lead the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt and into the Promised Land (Exodus 3:10). How could this unproved, socially isolated shepherd rise to the occasion? The Father had a concise and straightforward answer to all of his questions.

Exodus 3:12 I will be with you.

Each child of the King is assured of the Father’s presence.

The Lord Jesus Christ promised His disciples, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

Sometimes irony can be humorous. The following marketing blurb seemed ironic and somewhat whimsical. It did not communicate precisely what was intended. “Annual plans, starting at just $12 + tax or Lifetime plans, available for only a limited time.”

REFLECT & PRAY

There is no need to fear what is happening or where you are going when the Father is with you.

Father I need help understanding Your ways and Your timing. Encourage me to walk by faith and not by sight and trust You completely.

INSIGHT

Moses was profoundly unsettled and troubled by the Father’s directives. He looked inward and was well aware of his shortcomings, limitations, and past failures. His first question was, why me? But his second question is unspoken. It is somewhat arrogant and self-centered, “If You are willing to help me now, why didn’t You help me before? Why now?”

Moses is now almost 80 years old. Further, the children of Israel had been crying out to the Father for centuries. Why now? Moses found it difficult to comprehend why the timing was right now. It made no sense to him.

Fear shrivels faith.

When this happens, the Father challenges us with a direct, probing question:  “Where is your faith?”(Luke 8:25)

Hebrews 11:1 Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

Hebrews 11:6 Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

Faith is simple dependence upon the Father apart from human strength and self-reliance. We cannot trust anyone further than we know them.

2 Peter 1:2-5

 2 May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.

 3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.

 4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

 5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises.

The truth and accuracy of Scripture are the facts of faith. We stand upon them.

“God delights to increase the faith of His children. We ought, instead of wanting no trials before victory, no exercise for patience, to be willing to take them from God’s hand as a means. I say – and say it deliberately – trials, obstacles, difficulties, and sometimes defeats, are the very food of faith” (Mueller).

“Real faith is always increased by opposition, while false confidence is damaged and discouraged by it” (J.B. Stoney).

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 2-1–1

© Dr. H 2023