Daily Devotional
Are You Determined to Have God?
“Then he said to Him, ‘If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.’”
Exodus 33:15-16
November 23, 2022
Ponder This
There must be a determination that you will have God in your life. In this verse, Moses said, “Lord, I’m not going without You. If You don’t go, I’m not going.” And, you know, I think many of us would have settled for what God said to Moses. Many of us would say, “Lord, You promised me eternal life. I’ve got eternal life. You promised me Heaven. I’ve got Heaven. You promised me that You would see me through. You’re going to see me through. Thank You for the angel, Lord. Thank You for Heaven, Lord. Thank You for eternal security, Lord.” We might settle for that without the conscious presence of God, but I want to beg you not to do it.
Do you know what that’s like? That’s like a husband and wife who remain married but separate, and he provides for her. He says, “All right. I’ll pay your rent, I’ll buy your groceries, and I’ll cut the grass, but we’re not going to live together.” Do you want that kind of relationship with God? Do you want what God will give without having God Himself? Or are you saying, “I am not satisfied with separate maintenance? I want to know the Lord intimately.” I pray that this determination is true for all of us so that we’ll say, “We want the conscious presence of God in our lives and in our church and we don’t want to go one step more without Him.”
- What would it look like to be determined in your faith this week?
- What are some areas that you want to grow in your faith?
Practice This
Write out the areas that you want to grow in your faith and some steps to start growing in those areas.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
