“If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here” (Exodus 33:15, ESV).
Moses knew something of God that exceeds his blessings or even his supernatural works. He knew that beyond God’s unlimited favor is his ultimate favor, favor that isn’t found in the things he does but simply in who he is.
A famous Christian writer posed this question, “What if heaven were a place where you could have everything you wanted, where all your dreams come true, and every desire is made a reality – but God isn’t there? Would you want to go?” It’s a legitimate question for any Christian. Do we desire God’s blessings apart from knowing him, the giver of all good things? Or, like Moses, would we prefer to have every blessing stripped away rather than lose God’s presence?
I don’t take God’s material blessings lightly, and neither does his Word. There is hardly a book in the Bible that doesn’t mention God’s concern for the poor. Poverty affects every area of life, and we are to give food to the hungry, hope to the downcast, and healing to the brokenhearted. But for those of us who know God’s abundant blessings, Moses conveys something important: even daily bread pales in comparison to knowing him.
It’s not that Christians today aren’t grateful for God’s blessings. Our problem is that we stop there. We say, “Lord, your unlimited favor is enough for me.” But it isn’t enough. We can have the most vibrant marriage, the most beautiful home, the most fulfilling job, and the greatest kids—but if Jesus isn’t in the midst of them, we have nothing.
Are we willing to declare with Moses, “Lord, if you’re not there, I won’t go”? If we are, God will answer us the way he did Moses: “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” (Exodus 33:14).