Parents sacrifice convenience in order to please our children. Face it, no parent enjoys going to Chuck E. Cheese. For the sake of our children, however, we take them. We have thoughts like, “I’ll take you to Chuck E. Cheese, but I don’t have to like it.” Our kids enjoy it, while we half-heartedly smile choking down overpriced frozen pizza.
After the golden calf debacle, the Lord promised to bring Israel into the Promised Land, keeping His covenant with the Patriarchs (Ex. 33:1-2). There was just one caveat, the Lord said, “I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way” (Ex. 33:3). Israel was going to possess the Promised Land, but the Lord was not going to be in their midst. He was going to send His Angel to lead them in His place. In other words, He was going, but He wasn’t happy about it.
Moses had the privilege of speaking with God face to face (Ex. 33:11). What an amazing thought to be able to speak face to face with God. Moses could have asked for anything while he communed with God, but this was his request: “And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth“ (Ex. 33:15-16).
A land flowing with milk and honey meant absolutely nothing if God wasn’t going with them. Moses’ request was for God’s presence to be with Israel. If Israel didn’t have the presence of the Lord, then they had nothing.
Beloved, it is imperative that God’s presence be with us. If He is not with us, then everything will be against us. All of the blessings, and promises mean nothing without Him. We used to sing an old song that said, “Take this whole world, but give me Jesus.” If you have the world, but don’t have Jesus, then you have nothing. But if you have Jesus, you have everything.