Then he said to Him, "If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. For how then can it be known that Your people have found favor in Your sight? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we may be distinguished from all the other people who are on the face of the earth?” Exodus 33:15-16
Moses knew it was God’s presence that would distinguish him from all other people. Not what he did, not what he said, not how he looked, but God’s presence and power alone.
This word is an exhortation and reminder that the very thing Moses was asking for is exactly what we have been promised:
Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? — 1 Corinthians 3:16
And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. — Matthew 28:20
God is with me, in me, and wants to work through me. His presence goes with me, and it distinguishes me from those who claim to walk with any other gods. Because my God has all authority and all power in Heaven and on earth. And through the Holy Spirit, I have received power so that I can be His witness, showing the world who He is (Acts 1:8).
That power doesn’t lie in what I say, or how I say it. The power is in the presence of the One who is with me. And even though the power does not come from me, He has chosen me to be a partner in His ministry through simple acts of obedience.
Too often, I overthink it when He prompts me to reach out or talk to someone—I want to wait until I know exactly what to say, or how the whole situation will play out—and it causes me to freeze. I forget that the power lies in my surrender to His presence, not in my understanding.
So, if you are anything like me, I encourage you to lay down and let go.
Lay down your need to understand, and let go of the weight of trying to do or be enough. Obey His prompting and remember that, in this relationship, He does the heavy lifting. His presence alone is what moves mountains and shifts atmospheres, and He has chosen to dwell in you.
Grace Waves 