The Peace of God’s Presence
“The Lord replied, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’” Exodus 33:14
There’s a reason my husband’s blood pressure and my anxiety rise the moment I begin making travel plans. I’m the woman who once booked three non-refundable plane tickets for the wrong day, and once, arriving at the wrong airport. I’ve left my purse on an airport’s curb, leaving myself stranded and dependent on strangers.
You can probably understand why I prefer to travel with my husband! Blunders or not, simply having him beside me brings me peace. He’s strong in all the areas I’m weak and usually remains clear-headed when faced with uncertainty.
Yet, whether he accompanies me or not, our all-powerful, all-knowing, sovereign Creator remains with me, and He’ll never leave. Without Him, any sense of peace my husband and I feel would be superficial and temporary at best.
Imagine traveling through the wilderness, with no stores or oases in sight, to a land occupied by cruel and sexually depraved people groups known for sacrificing children. Imagine leading a grumbling, rebellious nation, including children and the elderly, over mountains and through valleys.
Scholars believe Moses, the Hebrew shepherd turned liberator, led around 2.4 million people across Ancient Palestine’s rugged mountains and valleys. Not only did these people look to him for their very survival, but he’d also been tasked with establishing a new religious system and theocracy. Even more daunting, under his leadership, God commanded the Israelites to drive out entire people groups and take occupancy of the Promised Land.
You can sense Moses’s distress in Exodus 33:12: “You’ve been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but You have not let me know whom you will send with me.”
In other words, help!
To which God replied: My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
If we belong to Jesus, God makes that same promise to us. No matter where we go or what we face, God will go with us, and He alone can give us rest.
Jennifer Slattery is a writer, editor, speaker, and the founder of Wholly Loved Ministries. She hosts the Faith Over Fear and Thriving With Chronic Illness podcasts, writes for iBelieve, and is a multi-published author of Hometown Healing among other titles who also writes Bible studies, and devotions. When not writing, reading, or editing, Jennifer loves going on mall outings with her adult daughter and coffee dates with her hilariously fun husband. Visit her online at jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com or book her for your next women’s event.
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Originally published Monday, 02 September 2024.
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