Guidance #2—Guiding Presence

God said, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.” Then Moses said to him, “If your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here.” Exodus 33:14–15

We need more than just the knowledge of our destination. Israel needed more than a road map to Canaan. They even needed more than a signal beacon on Mt. Hermon. They needed the presence of God as they followed God’s leadership into the promised land. For paradise exists only in the presence of God. If he is with us along the way, we can rejoice even in the wilderness. If he is with us, we can be assured we will not wander from the path because we misunderstand the directions, or because we encounter something more attractive along the way. We hear echoes of this in Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit to all those who become his disciples. Those who have the Spirit and are led by the Spirit are the children of God. When we are led by the Spirit we will not fulfill the desires of the flesh. God’s presence can even keep us from service at one time, but then “open a door for effective ministry” as he did with Paul in Asia. So the Lord will guide us, not just by telling us where to go, but also by “whispering in our ear” on the way to the Promised Land.

Jesus, thank you for being so down-to-earth with me, for residing with me by your Spirit. Grant me patience to wait for your move, and then go with me as I go. Amen.