MY PRESENCE WILL GO WITH YOU AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST

And he said, "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." And he said to him, "If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.

(Exodus 33:14-15)

Are you familiar with the song, "I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go?" 

It may not be on the mountain’s height,
Or over the stormy sea;
It may not be at the battle’s front,
My Lord will have need of me;
But if by a still, small voice He calls,
To paths that I do not know,
I’ll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in Thine,
I’ll go where You want me to go.

Refrain:
I’ll go where You want me to go, dear Lord,
O’er mountain, or plain, or sea;
I’ll say what You want me to say, dear Lord,
I’ll be what You want me to be.

Perhaps today there are loving words
Which Jesus would have me speak;
There may be now in the paths of sin,
Some wand’rer whom I should seek;
O Savior, if Thou wilt be my guide,
Though dark and rugged the way,
My voice shall echo Thy message sweet,
I’ll say what You want me to say.

There’s surely somewhere a lowly place,
In earth’s harvest fields so white,
Where I may labor through life’s short day,
For Jesus the Crucified;
So trusting my all to Thy tender care,
And knowing Thou lovest me,
I’ll do Thy will with a heart sincere,
I’ll be what You want me to be.

Moses said to the Lord, "If Your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here."  I've been saying the same to the Lord lately.  "Lord, I can only go where You're taking me right now if Your presence is with me and You take my hand and lead me through it.  I cannot go there without You."  What's impossible for man is possible with God.  God is still doing the supernatural.  For me, the strength to go through this trial and what I see coming on the horizon, will take nothing less than the supernatural power of God upholding me through it all, in order for His will to be done, for His name to be glorified in me, and in order for me to stand and walk this path without fainting.  If God's presence does not go with me, I can't. 

So often we say, "I can't Lord."  I think I've learned that does not phase God.  Our "I can'ts" don't stop God.  What hinders His will is when we stop there and don't see that He can.  Our "I can'ts" should only help us more fully to cling to and trust in and rely on His "I can."  So many times in the past, as I look back, I see how often I came to an "I can't" mountain.  But God showed me through it Who He is to me, how much He loves me, His grace is sufficient, His power made perfect in weakness.  We hear that over and over, and it's easy to say, "Yes, Lord!" when all is well, but when you are plunged into something you never thought would happen to you, that you dread, that you just cannot handle, it's a bit different to say, "You can, Lord!"  when you want to scream, "DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN!" But as we, very shakingly take His hand, choose to trust the Lord, and choose to let Him walk you through this no matter the outcome, He always does reveal His glory in it.  If we walk in bitterness, self pity, fear, anxiety, etc., we don't escape the circumstances, we just don't see His glory in it or experience His power to go through it.

Moses said, "Please show me your glory."

(Exodus 33:18)

This is where the Lord wants to get us to in our hearts, in our motives, and in our true desire. "Please show me Your glory."  This is what I've learned to say and to truly seek.  Oh, I am not so strong as to not want His deliverance from the circumstances! I do pray for that.  But I also pray, "Lord, not my will but Yours be done. Show me Your glory."  I can pray that, not because I am so spiritual or good in myself, but because the Lord's working and chastisement in my life has shown me over the years that His will is good, and way better than mine.  His glory is my delight and life and blessing, and whenever He is glorified, it brings light to all who see it.  His glory is beyond our imagination and those who love Him are those who are privileged to see it.

And he said, "I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name 'The LORD.' And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live." And the LORD said, "Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen."

(Exodus 33:19-23)

Yet some day, oh what joy! Some day, we who are in Christ, will see Him face to face! 

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

(1 John 3:1-2)

When I see His glory, even in the small glimpses He gives us now in this life, it strengthens me, it emboldens me, it encourages me to go on, and walk wherever He takes me in this life.  It takes away my fears and anxieties and His presence with me gives me the peace and assurance I need to boldly walk where He is leading, knowing He is sufficient for whatever is ahead. What He calls us to, He equips us for, IF we are trusting in Him and abiding in Him.  In His presence we can face the storm, the hurricane, the tsunami, the fire, or whatever we are led in to.  A long time ago, the Lord spoke to my heart, as a young believer seeking His guidance and provision regarding college and His will for my life, "Ginny, I have your whole life all mapped out for you."  So I didn't know this was on the map, but I don't want to take a wrong turn off the map that He has for me, so I take His hand and let Him lead me through whatever is ahead.

But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

(Isaiah 43:1-2)

Did He promise this just to Israel? Or to us also?

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

(Romans 8:15-17)

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(Romans 8:28-39)

So with confidence, I pray, Lord, if I must go through this fiery trial, please go with me, taking my hand, giving me the strength and be glorified through it.  Please let me see Your glory, in myself, and in others through me, and let that glory have its way to bring forth light and truth and life.  Let Your presence go with me and bring rest. In Jesus name and through His power alone, Amen.