Without the presence

Perhaps my favorite scripture about Moses is in Exodus 33. After the Israelites had created the golden calf to worship, look at how the Lord responded to them.


Then the LORD spoke to Moses, "Depart, go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up from the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, 'To your descendants I will give it.' I will send an angel before you and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite.  Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, because you are an obstinate people, and I might destroy you on the way." - Exodus 33:1-3


Here is a different kind of mercy from the Lord.  He was within His right to just destroy them and start over if wanted, yet He chose to continue helping them.  He would send His angel before them to clear the way, but was afraid to go with them, for He knew that they would turn away from Him again and again, and obviously feared that He would grow tired and destroy them.  His mercy was to remove Himself, yet still provide.  Sounds like much of my life, provided, but not anointed.



Had I been there, I probably would've grieved, and taken it.  You see, if I'm upsetting God that much, maybe it's better for a little time apart.  We do that in our friendships, work relationships, marriages, why not with God.  Yet Moses wasn't willing.


Then he said to Him, "If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here." - Exodus 33:15



Moses wasn't willing to take the easy way out like we so often desire.  The easy way is to step away from the situation, to sweep it under the rug once our emotions calm and pretend it didn't happen.  How many of our families are built upon this attitude.  I'm going to storm out of the house, and come back once I've calmed myself down and decided I can ignore this.


You see, it's easy not to manage a relationship.  Moses wouldn't take it.  He knew that without the presence of the Lord with them, that what else would set them apart from those around them.  


What about us?  Can we handle the effort it takes to clean things up, to repent, to stay humble before Him, ready to sacrifice whatever it takes to stay in His presence.  Not only does His presence guide us, but it will also make our lives fruitful.  Why would I ever want to be outside of His presence.  But the relationship must be tended.


Who among us can live with the consuming fire?
Who among us can live with continual burning? – Isaiah 33:14

You can read my post about being in the fire here.

I sit here, trying to find the words for what staying in His presence really means, and I find I can't.  I don't think I've lived in this enough to really even give you an idea.  All I know, is that it's my desire, the burning of my heart.