Have you ever had a knot in your stomach, or had your heart to beat so fast due to excitement and a change of perspective from reading God's word?? It just amazes the mess out of me to read the scripture and get so many different applications out of it every time I read it. I was looking over some old notes from a sermon I heard a couple of Sundays ago. I found myself reading about Moses in Exodus 33;-38 & 40. But what stood out to me where the following passages:
vs8-11
"And it came about, whenever Moses went out to the tent, that all the people would arise and stand, each at the entrance of his tent, and gaze after Moses until he entered the tent.
Whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; and the LORD would speak with Moses.
When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would arise and worship, each at the entrance of his tent.
Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent."
vs 13-15
"Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, (U)let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight Consider too, that this nation is Your people."
And He said, "My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest."
Then he said to Him, "If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here."
The presence of the LORD, that's all Moses wanted, that's all HIS heart desired was to be where ever the LORD was. His goal, was not to be in this "rich place", his goal was not the milk and the honey but a holy land where GOD would dwell with HIS PEOPLE.. That's what I want Jesus, to be where you are, to look up and see my "pillar of cloud", to know you are here...
Why is it that we search to be in the presence of so many other things, to sit with the rich and wealthy, to be in the presence of those whose homes model after one of a catalog, who dress their kids in designer clothing, in a place of worship where everything is about us and our comfort..to be in the presence of the internet, close friends, T.V.,ect...( in and of themselves these things are not sinful, its about how much of a priority they have over desiring the LORD's presence)
I am so weary of this flesh, so tired of the LORD not being in all that I do...
I long for my heart to completely say and mean it with all my being "If YOUR PRESENCE DOES NOT GO WITH US DO NOT LEAD US UP FROM HERE"
God, thank you for where we are as a family, as a ministry..now would you PLEASE, please, show us your glory, may we never find rest for our souls until we see you. Help us to find contentment in all that you have called us to. May we be like Moses, radically pitching our tent outside the camp, eagerly awaiting to meet with you. Your presence is what makes us different from the world, if you leave from us we will not be so. Please dwell among us like never before. Amen.