Scripture
The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
~Exodus 33:14, NIV
Quote
“We may not always feel His presence, but His promise is greater than our perception.”
— Corrie ten Boom
God’s promises are comforting and when I read the one above a few days ago, I could sense His comforting presence and it was heart warming. In Chapter 32 of Exodus, the Israelites fall off the wagon big time. Since Moses has been on the mountain with the LORD for forty days, they talk Aaron into making them a god they can see, like the ones in Egypt. The life style and culture of the Egyptians had worn off on them. They had adopted some of the ways of the pagans. It is an amusing story in a sense. When Moses returns to the camp and see them dancing around this golden calf, he has a holy fit; a kin to Jesus cleansing the temple. When he puts a bead on Aaron, “What have you done?” Aaron blames the people and then he makes up the cockamamie story… “They brought me their gold and I threw it in the fire and out pops this calf.” Yeah right, and pigs fly.
Moses was not the only one aggravated and put out by this orgy. The LORD was very displeased. He told Moses, “I am done with these people. You can lead them on to the Promise land if you want, but I am not going with you.” {Exodus 32:3,34, JEV} Exodus 32:14 is the verse that drives Calvinist crazy, “Then the LORD changed His mind from the evil, which He had threatened to do unto His people.” {Geneva Bible} I don’t try to explain the verse, but it tells me that Moses intercession made a difference. I don’t agee with the people who say, “The only thing that prayer changes is our attitude.”
The point I want to make is the comfort that the promise brought to Moses. Can you imagine the sigh of relief when the LORD told him, “I will go with you and I will give you rest.” The word ‘rest’ is a verb and it means to sit down or lay down. In other words, “Take the load off and relax.” It is a synonym for peace. David expressed it in Psalm 23, “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for YOU are close beside me.” His presence makes all the difference in the world. A.W. Tozer said, “There is no moment when God is not present. He is nearer than our breath, closer than our thoughts.”
Extra
I made a couple of visits between two and three yesterday and according to my truck thermometer, it was 97 degrees. I am ready for a frost. Christy had a PET scan yesterday. I don’t know when we will get the results. Ice Cream supper tonight an farewell to Josh and family. Josh and eight of our young people leave for Guatemala tomorrow. I think they have to be at Huntsville International at 5:30 a.m. June and I will have a son, daughter-in-law, and six grandkids counting in laws to be. I think it might be the first international mission trip for three or four of them. No program tonight other than Josh saying farewell and there might be one or two others to say a word but no worship service. Everything will be in the FELLOWSHIP HALL. We do love our FELLOWSHIP hall at the POINT.
Have a great day and thanks for reading the blog.