By Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, lead these people, but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.” The Lord replied “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Then Moses said to him, “If your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” (Exodus 33:12-15)
The thought of being absolutely alone is terrible. Totally alone means no one to talk to, no one to lean on, no one to care.
As believers we have His guarantee that we will never be alone. He will be with us now and throughout all eternity. Think of what that means!
God is with the child who skins his/her knee or suffers from a family crisis. He is with the teen disappointed at not making the team or that is rejected by peers. He is with the young adult desperately seeking employment or mending from a broken heart. He is with the middle aged parents watching the last child walk out the door to face the real world. He is with the elderly person that is alone now and feeling the effects of aging more and more each day.
Throughout life and eternity – He is always present. We need Him. Above all else, we need God’s presence.
Moses recognized the need for God’s presence. In our terminology he was saying, “You have called me to lead these people. I can’t do it alone. I have to know you and I have to know you are with me. In fact, if you do not go with us, we might as well stay in the spot we are in.”
Like Moses, we need to recognize our need for His presence. If we are to serve His purpose in this life, He has to be present to help us. If we are to continue walking in His favor, we have to know His ways in order to truly know Him. We can experience His presence in every aspect of our lives. This is one reason church services are so important.
When worship is real, God’s presence is evident. Psalm 22:3 says that God inhabits the praises of His people. Matthew 18:20 says, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” When we combine corporate worship with a thriving personal prayer life, we can experience the abiding presence of God in our everyday lives. This means everything to us.
This means He is with us when we need courage to fight life’s battles. This means He is there to help when no other help is available. This means we can rest in His presence and possess the joy of the Lord no matter what circumstances we face.
Psalm 16:11 states it this way: “Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” Aren’t you glad to know we never have to walk through life alone?
Dave Snyder is an Ordained Bishop with the Church of God – Cleveland, Tennessee. Before entering the ministry on a full-time basis, he was a school teacher. He also coached middle school basketball for eight years.
Dave and his wife, Sara, have two children — Craig and Karen. They also have one ten year old granddaughter — Breanna.
Dave and Sara pastored in West Virginia for thirty-six years. Sara is now retired from the banking industry, and Dave is retired from pastoring. However, Dave currently serves as prison Chaplain for the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Writing essays, articles, and devotionals is a real passion for Dave. He also enjoys playing musical instruments and singing.
by leaps and bounds 