If your presence does not go with us.....

If your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. (Exodus
33: 15 NKJV)

Moses asked this of God before he and the children of Israel departed from
Egypt. God assured Moses that he would send angels to tend them and he would
supernaturally clear their way and told them that they would be safe. But
during their time in the desert, God knew that they would act foolish. God
referred to His own chosen people as "stiff-necked". He knew that they
would turn from Him in the desert. He also told Moses that in layman's
terms that it would be better for them if He did not go with them as He
would destroy them in His anger because of the things that He knew they
would do.

God was about to make a major move in the history of His chosen people. He
was about to make a major move in the lives of the Jews. Yet as much as
they loved their God, He knew that they would fight Him every step of the
way. Sound familiar? But perhaps if you are aware of how God works, it
would go easier on you. I could ask you to read the entire book of Exodus,
and you really should, and then put yourself in place of the Israelites and
it will be an eye opener!

If you keep God with you everyday and in everything that you do you will
start to notice that people treat you differently. Just by walking around
with a smile on your face, and saying God bless you to everyone you meet you
are no different than those in the world who can put on an act of knowing,
loving and serving God. If you learn to walk with God, people will know
that there is something different about you even if they cannot put their
finger on it. Jesus told his disciples not to worry about His leaving them
because He would ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit, who is the
"comforter", to walk with them all the days of time on earth. He is here.
And yet, how many of us truly walk with Him every day? Our own arrogance
keeps us from the only real power we have on earth and that is the power of
a daily relationship through the Holy Spirit with God the Father. If you
think people can not notice this you are wrong.

Recently I was at the grocery store. I was in the checkout line and was
unloading my groceries with one hand and talking on my cell phone with the
other. My publisher had called and it was very important that I talk with
them. I finished both unloading and talking at the same time and then
immediately apologized to the check out lady. She looked at me and asked if
I had written a book and she apologized for eaves dropping on my
conversation. I told her that was no problem and yes, I had written a book.
She suddenly closed her eyes and shuttered. When she opened her eyes, I
said to her, "you are a Christian aren't you?" and she said yes. I could
tell because we were both feeling the presence of the Holy Spirit very
strongly. She said to me, "that book is going to be a best seller". I
smiled and told her that the book had been prophesized over and others had
said the same thing. We both smiled and said, "God is so good." Just then
a little girl that was a bagger came up to the checkout stand and she
immediately said, "Wow, what is going on here?" and she shuttered. You see,
you do not have to believe in God to make Him real. He is here whether
people believe in Him or not. And this little girl FELT God's presence.
When we told her that she was just feeling God her mouth dropped open and
all she could say was "WOW".

As wonderful as these experiences are, we will all have time in the desert
when God is about to move us onward and upward in His kingdom. And during
those times in the desert you will not hear from God. And it can be a very
hard and dry place for a season as God purges the flesh so that all that
remains is our faith in Him. That is the only way that God can get our full
attention. It is very easy to believe in God when everything is going our
way. But we have our best growth spurts in the desert. So when you visit
the desert, and you will if you are walking with God, just remember how much
God loved His own son Jesus who went into the desert for 40 days too. Keep
the WORD of truth, the Bible with you, and never lose faith, because God has
sent angels to protect you from the devil who always visits the desert when
you do. And know that our very human reaction to the desert would so anger
God, that He has intentionally arranged not to be there for our own good.
But He will always meet us on the other side of that desert and He will
reveal His new direction for our life at that time. Walking with Him
everyday enables our Faith when we must walk alone for a
season.........Patti