Exodus 32-33 / Matthew 26:69-27:14 / Psalm 33:1-11 / Proverbs 8:33-36
Moses said this to the Lord:
If you don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place… for Your presence among us sets Your people and me apart from all other people on the earth.
Why was God saying He would no longer go with His people? It was because of their sin of idolatry. God hates sin.
Sometimes we forget that God is both mercy and justice. It is because of His justice that sin must be paid for. But in His mercy, God sent Jesus Christ to pay for our sin for us. Sin demanded payment and God loved us enough to make the ultimate payment with His Son’s life.
I won’t pretend to fully understand God’s character and nature. After all, though I’m a supernatural being having a natural experience, I still wrestle between my human and my spiritual mind.
But I do know this; I don’t want to go anywhere in my life without God’s presence. I need Him for all things. I need His wisdom and love, His justice and mercy, His forgiveness and strength.
In the Old Testament, before Jesus Christ came and allowed the Holy Spirit to live inside us as temples of Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God did leave people. That’s hard for me to fathom, especially since God’s Spirit has lived inside me since the age of 5! I can’t imagine what it would be like not to have Him near.
If life still hard at times? Yes. Do I still feel alone, sad, angry, frustrated and confused at times? Yes, but I’m not alone in any of those things.
I’ve said many times that I don’t comprehend how anyone could walk through life’s difficulties without God’s Spirit and presence. I’m thankful I’ll never have to know that feeling again.
