The LORD said to Moses, “Go up from here, you and the people whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, ʻI will give it to your descendants’. I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go up among you, for you are a stiff-necked people, and I might destroy you on the way.” (Exodos 33:3)
You are on your own sayeth the Lord.
God told Moses, I am about to immensely bless you and give to you and your people everything you have desired, however, I will no longer be with you nor will you ever experience my presence again. Moses responded, “Moses quickly bowed to the ground and worshiped and said, “If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, let my Lord go among us, for we are a stiff-necked people; pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.” He repented, begged for God’s pardon, and said the we do not want the inheritance of all these blessings without You God, for without You all these other things are worthless. The only inheritance we desire if that of your people and your presence in our lives.
Suppose God told you today I am about to immensely and completely bless you today. You will receive calls from family members and friends who you have been praying would come to know Jesus who have accepted Christ into their lives. All your prayer requests for healing over yourself and your loved ones will be answered. All your prayers for restoration of relationships with you wife and family members will be restored. You will receive a letter from an unknown relative stating that you will inherit 500 million dollars and be financially set for life. All these blessings and more you will receive. However, God says once you receive them, I will no longer be with you, I will withdraw my glory and remove my Holy Spirit from you. I will never hear or respond to a prayer from you, and you will never, ever, again experience my presence in your life. What would you do?
We can talk tough now tucked away in Sunday school and church amd declare “Nothing can compare to you Jesus, you are all we need.” But in life, behind closed doors honestly declaring that answer is not all that easy is it? Day to day we make a decision to that question as well in the small events of or day. Do we chose the comfort of our home and material goods, or to go out into our neighborhoods were God is. Do we hoard our homes as our own or open our door and welcome in others to learn about Jesus? Do we hoard our resources God has blessed us with and shut out God’s call to give, or do we give with extreme generosity. Do we choose to be right and Lord of our lives, or do we choose to experience God through humble forgiveness. Do we live as God called the Israelites in the passage above, as “stiff-necked people with our heads locked straight ahead at a mirror focused on ourselves, our wordly inheritance, our needs and desires, our blessings, and our goals, or do we turn our eyes towards Jesus and humbly offer him all we are and all we have, and tell Him, nothing is better than you in my life.
There are those times in our lives of wonderful transitions: We move out of our parents house for the first time and into our own home or apartment. We go to the bank and deposit our first pay check. We get married and move into our first home with someone to share out life with. We start a new well paying job. We get healed from a physical or mental illness, and so many other transitions. In all of these are a test from God. Will we enter into them stiff-necked, or will we enter into them only in the presence of Jesus. In all our transitions God tests our heart. Why? For He knows our choices and responses will effect our future direction and our destiny.
My family, I pray you may take a moment by yourself and simply say out loud., “Nothing is better than you Jesus and the experience of you in my life.” Then allow the Holy Spirit to honestly reveal the true application of that statement in your life, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your reflections and prayers with us n the comment box below.
As Another Month Draws To An End, Help Us Help Them!
My wife Nancy and I are in a new season of our ministry of pouring completely into planting and growing simple house churches in our neighborhoods, and having “boots on the ground” serving in our community.. Please pray over this season in my life and that of my family. Please partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation now for next year, or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You Thank You!
