Daily Devotional
Is God Optional to You?
“…for I [God] will not go up in your [the Israelites] midst, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people:” “… Then he [Moses] said to Him, “If Your presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.” (Exodus 33:3)
Exodus 33:15
May 6, 2020
Ponder This
Moses is saying, “God, if You’re not going, I'm not going.”
St. Augustine once asked:
If God were to come to you and say, “I’ll give you anything you want. Nothing will be withheld. You can have whatever you want with one exception: you will never see My face,” would you take that proposition? If a chill went over your soul when you heard that phrase, “You will never see My face,” thank God for that chill.
God offered to send the Israelites along their way with the protection of an angel. He promised them victory in the Promised Land. But Moses said: “I don’t want Canaan without you. I don’t want an angel to guide us. I don’t want victory. I don’t want milk and honey. I want You, God.”
Practice This
Is there anything today you want more than God’s presence? Think carefully. If so, then that thing—whatever or whoever it is—is an idol. Abandon it. Dismantle that idol’s altar in your life.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Real Truth Never Changes
Real truth never changes, and the truth about government is that it is God who ordains it, leaders who are responsible for it, and citizens who are accountable to it. The privilege of being called Americans comes with significant responsibilities—to God, to each other, and to the world.
