Grace World Outreach Church
Day 21
Marked By His Presence
By: Jenna Norris
“And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?”
(Exodus 33:15-16, ESV)
This moment between Moses and the Lord is one of my favorite scenes in Scripture. Moses had been so radically changed by encountering the presence of the Lord that he could not imagine moving without Him. The presence of God had become the distinguishing mark of his life and of those he was leading, and he refused to take a single step toward the promised land unless the Lord went with him.
God had instructed Moses to lead Israel into a land flowing with promise. Moses had received direction for what was next. He had sought the Lord, and the Lord had answered. Yet Moses understood something profound. The blessing of entering into the promised land meant nothing without the presence of the Lord. The fulfillment of the promise itself was not enough. The miracle of taking a people from captivity into freedom was not enough. The bottom line and determining choice was that if the Glory did not go with them, he would rather stay where they were.
This is where Moses’ heart cry speaks so deeply to us thousands of years after this historic moment in Scripture. He was willing to remain in the wilderness if it meant God’s presence would be with them. Moses was unwilling to exchange God’s presence for the sake of progress. He would not trade moments of fellowship with the Lord just so that there was movement.
Decisions shape our destiny. What we pursue, what we say yes to, and what we refuse to move forward with can shift the entire trajectory of our lives. Moses chose presence over movement, and that decision marked not only his life but a generation.
As individuals, as families, and as a church, may we be people so marked by encountering the presence of the Lord that nothing else will satisfy us. May we be willing to say, “Lord, we will not move unless You go with us.” If the Glory does not rest on what we build, we have nothing. If Your Presence is not in the room, we have missed the point entirely.
Let this be our cry: that the Presence of the Lord would mark every service, every gathering, every decision, and every step. It is not about emotion or even our own desires. It is about God Himself dwelling among His people.
Reflection:
- Where have you been tempted to move ahead without stopping to seek the Lord’s Presence?
- What would change if you made God’s Presence the deciding factor in every major decision?
- How can you cultivate an environment where His Presence rests in your home, your church, and your personal walk?
Prayer:
Father, thank You for the gift of Your presence. Mark my life with a fresh hunger for You. Teach me to wait, to listen, and to remain where You are. Do not let me move without Your Glory leading the way. Let Your Presence rest on my life, my family, and my church. Let every gathering be filled with Your nearness. Return Your Glory to Your house, and let us be a people who live completely surrendered to Your Presence. In Jesus’ name, amen.