God is with us
Exodus 33: 12-17 12 Moses said to the LORD, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ 13 If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.” 14 The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15 Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?” 17 And the LORD said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” (NIV)
Times of walking away can consume our emotions. Three months ago, my wife and I “walked away” from Singapore after our theological studies. Joyfully, our families welcomed us back in the Philippines. But lo and behold, huge problems and challenges in IVCF greeted us as well. We left behind our good friends, our competent seminary professors, an excellent theological library and it feels as if we’ve left everything behind.
Israel walked away from Egypt when Moses led them out from that land of slavery. Yes, they left the heavy burden of slavery. But they also bid goodbye to stable and predictable things that they did enjoy in Egypt. Later, when the Lord told Moses, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” (Exodus 33:14), Moses replied, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here” (v.15).
We can never escape from difficult times. But the question is: ‘Where does our stability come from?” This blessed assurance of security and strength comes from the presence of God. Because He goes with us, we can walk into the future with hope and confidence.
As Moses faced uncertain circumstances, he implored God, “Show me now Your way, . . . that I may find grace in Your sight” (Ex. 33:13). The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you” (v.14).
The day that I took the responsibility as OIC-National Director of IVCF Philippines, I already knew that every now and then fears of all sorts will shake my mind like storms. But thank God that His powerful presence calms my heart and soul each time I come face to face with these adversities. Each item in my job description is incredibly tough. Questions like how we can raise enough money to sustain the movement, how to relate with our donor-partners, how to mobilize our office and field staff, among other things are beyond me. But deep inside I also knew that the Lord our God is with me. God is and with all of us.
Yes we can say with confidence, “Lord, we will go anywhere with You. Anywhere with Jesus we are not alone. Sometimes, friends and supporters may forget us. But God, you will stay with us. You can raise new supporters and revive the hearts of our friends. As human beings, right within our community we sometimes clash in our opinions concerning some newly proposed policies. But this should not stop us. Lord, since you are with us please unite our hearts. O yes, let IVCF say, we need not fear where we are going because God is with us.”
Robinson Crusoe, the chief character in a novel by Daniel Defoe, was shipwrecked. He got stuck in an island with no one else but him. Life was extremely difficult. Life was lonely like a graveyard. But he found hope and comfort when he turned to the Word of God. Crusoe said, “One morning, being very sad, I opened the Bible upon these words, ‘I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.’ Immediately I realize that these words were meant to me. Why else should they be directed in such a manner, just at the moment when I was mourning over my condition, as one forsaken of God and man?
Moses needed an answer to the question: “How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?” He wanted to be assured of God’s presence and leading, so he asked Him to reveal Himself (Exodus 33:13,18). In response, God came down in a cloud and said: “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, . . . by no means clearing the guilty” (34:5-7). God is good. God is also just.
He too can know this God. He won’t come down in a cloud. Sometimes we experience His presence during crisis. When IVCF Philippines went into a deep economic crisis in 1983, God established Balikatan to support IVCF Philippines. Steadily, our movement was receiving financial support not only from our local donors but also from international alumni groups. This doesn’t mean that we are no longer in need of financial assistance now. But God’s presence cannot be measured by our economic status. He has revealed Himself to us in His Word—the Bible. We can ask Him to make Himself real to us as we read, study it and apply it to our lives. We’ll learn that He is even more than the owner and creator of everything. The Lord our God is with us.
There are times when we feel that we have been forsaken by a friend, or a loved one. These are times when God puts us in a scary place and we want an instant way out. But God whispers His promise: “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). We can confront our fears with courage when we remember that God is always with us.
Concluding Prayer:
Father, help us to know that you are there even at times when our dependable partners and our possessions in life are gone. Let your presence cover us when something or someone we’ve relied on is no more, and our life is shaken. Please forgive us because sometimes we think that you are no longer watching over us. Sometimes, the departure of some of our ministry leaders makes us feel off-balance. But Lord, please grant us peace and hope. Let our hearts cling steadfastly on you. Remind us that “the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are open to their cry” (Psalm 34:15). You are “near to those who have a broken heart” (v.18). You are the Rock whose presence we can always depend on (Deuteronomy 32:4).
Written by Ramon Tecson Jr.
