Do You Want God's Presence More Than His Promises?
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. - Psalm 16:11
Earlier today while I was putting on my makeup, I was listening to a pastor preach on the presence of God. In his message, he focused on the book of Exodus, specifically the account of the Israelites being led into the Promised Land.
But the part of the story he focused on was a part I had never really paid close attention to until today. And I think this story is worth sharing because the lesson we can learn from this particular passage is a crucial one as we continue to walk with Jesus.
The pastor read from Exodus 33, starting in verse 1, where God is telling Moses to lead the Israelites into the Promise Land. “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people, and I might destroy you on the way” (Exodus 33:1-3).
Basically, what God is saying here is that He’s finally allowing the Israelites to come out of their time of suffering and they can enter into the land He’s been promising them for years now. The only catch is that He’s not going to go with them. He’s going to send an angel with them instead.
But Moses wasn’t having that. He pushed back.
Side note: Can we just take a second and think about the guts that Moses had to have to push back on what God was telling him to do? That’s some serious confidence. Don’t skim over that.
Anyways, Moses pushes back. Later in the chapter, he says, “Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 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?” (Exodus 33:15-16).
To paraphrase, Moses was saying: “God, I would rather have your presence without your promises than your promises without your presence.”
If God wasn’t going to the Promised Land, then neither was Moses and neither were the Israelites. It was that simple.
What an incredible response. What an amazing heart posture. What an admirable faith.
I would rather have your presence without your promises than your promises without your presence.
Just think about that for a minute. God had been promising this land to the Israelites for generations. People died on the journey to the Promised Land. They spent their entire lives hoping for the day they would get to experience the promises of God coming to fruition. And yet here was Moses saying, “God if you’re not going with us, then there’s no point in us going either.”
Now let me as you this question: would you have responded the same way if you were on the brink of God granting you a promise you’d been waiting on?
What if God said, “It’s time for you to start dating that guy, but I’m not walking with you into the relationship.” Or, “It’s time for you to finally get the job you’ve always wanted, but I’m not going with you into your corner office.” Or, “It’s time for you to pack up and head off to the college of your dreams, but I won’t be moving into that dorm room with you.”
How would you respond? What would you do? Would you start dating the guy anyway? Would you take the job anyway? Would you go to the school anyway?
It’s tough when you think about it that way. It hits home a little harder when you start thinking about the specific prayers you’ve been waiting for God to answer and thinking about whether or not you’d respond the way Moses did.
I think this is something that’s really important for us to consider because it helps us figure out how we are prioritizing the presence of God in our lives. If you wouldn’t hesitate to start the relationship, take the job, or move into the dorm room, then it begs the question: are you content with God’s promises without His presence? Are you more focused on the gifts than you are on the Giver?
I would encourage you to take some time today and think about how important God’s presence is in your life. Ask the Lord to reveal to you the answer to these questions: “Would I rather have God’s presence without His promises? Or would I be content with His promises without His presence?”
This might be a convicting conversation between you and God as you pray about this, but as you seek to align your heart with the Lord’s and prioritize His presence above all else, you’ll see an amazing shift not just in your walk with Him, but in every other aspect of your life.
His presence will always be better than His promises, friend. Trust me on that.