Face To Face

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 (ESV)

I recently read of a young Navy officer setting out on his first voyage. He completed rigorous training and managed to maneuver the destroyer out of a harbor flawlessly. Everything moved like clockwork until someone approached the officer and said, “You have a message from the captain.” 

Strangely, the message came through over the radio: “Young man, well done. You’ve navigated with excellent speed and proper procedure. But there is one unwritten rule you have overlooked. The next time you leave the harbor, make sure that the captain is on board!”

Every morning, your ship pulls out of the harbor onto the open seas of another day. No matter how wise your plans, exact your skill, or thorough your preparation, make sure the Captain is on board.

Yesterday, we learned that knowing God feeds on intimate communication. In today’s passage, Moses recognizes this powerful truth: Knowing God breeds intentional preoccupation. 

Let me explain what I mean. Moses does not care about provision or protection. He wants God’s presence. No pleasure or possession can satisfy you like the presence of God. 

What was God’s response? “The Lord replied, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’” (Exodus 33:14, NIV) 

The terms for “presence” throughout these passages are extremely picturesque. The literal translation of God’s response is, “My face will go with you.” You cannot get closer than someone’s face right beside you. 

What promise accompanies God’s presence? When you are walking with God, preoccupied with His presence in your life, He gives you rest. So you can rest today, knowing that no matter what you face, God faces it with you. 

Did you know you can connect with God in ways Moses could only dream about? Through the Spirit of God, He is not just standing beside you, but living inside you. He will tell what you need to know and take you where you need to go.  

I pray every day of my life, “Lord, maximize my desire for you and minimize my desire for anything else.” Join me, because there is nothing better, nothing greater, and nothing sweeter than knowing God.

Prayer: Dear Father, as I navigate today, You are the Captain I will not leave behind. Maximize my desire for You, and help me always carry a deep and abiding preoccupation with Your presence. You are here with me now, Holy Spirit, guiding me from within. Thank you for giving me rest. In Jesus’ name, amen.