The Importance of Being There
I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.—2 John 1:12 (NIV)
And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.—EXODUS 33:14 KJV
If you think your lot in life is difficult, imagine being Moses, stuck in the desert with a million people, whom you must lead to the promised land.
And if that’s not tough enough, God has just told you that although you are supposed to get all those rebellious people marching again, He is not going to go in their midst, because He’s ready to consume them for their resistance.
Moses knew he couldn’t proceed. He couldn’t take care of all those people without God’s guidance and provision.
So Moses did what any wise caregiver would do: He communed with God. He humbly appealed to God’s character and reputation. The Father relented and promised Moses His presence and His rest.
And Moses went.
While our jobs are not as great as the one Moses had, we can learn from his example. When faced with a difficult situation, instead of complaining, we must commune.
And then we must go. God goes with us as we are going.
As we go with His guidance, He will give us rest. His rest is more than just a chance to put our feet up. It’s a quiet confidence and inner peace, knowing that we are doing what God wants us to do.
Find rest today—commune, then continue, keeping a peaceful pace with Him.
Dear Father, You work in amazing ways—with You the strength comes in weakness; the rest, in activity. Refresh me today as I care for those around me.
I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.—2 John 1:12 (NIV)
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.—2 Corinthians 1:3–4 (NIV)
The one who gets wisdom loves life; the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.—Proverbs 19:8 (NIV)