Whom Will You Send With Me?

Exodus 33: 12-14

“Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”

The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

I admit it, I used to watch Naked and Afraid quite regularly. The human drama of survival is fascinating to watch. Naked, these people are left in some place off the grid and only given one item to help them in their 21 day survival test. They must endure the challenge with only this one thing they are given. If it were me out there, I would take a cell phone and call someone to come and get me. Seriously though, watching these two people over 21 days survive with only that one thing they brought, a knife or a pot, and make it 21 days to extraction can make you never want to go camping again. One thing is clear, that one thing they brought was helpful but never enough to get them to the end of the 21 days, so much more is always needed.

Too often we are barking at God with requests like Moses in verse 12.  You have heard of the saying “see a need, fill it” well what happens when you cannot fill the need and it is time for God show up?  Moses tells God in verse 13 that he wants the Lord to “teach me your ways so I may find favor with you.”  God says His presence is enough and He will give us rest. 

Connecting the dots of request to answer does not always look like a math problem. Moses wanted God to tell him whom He will send to help him lead the people and God responds with “all you need is me.” Wow, how often have we been frantically looking to fill a need with what we think will do the job only to find out God presence is all we needed and He will give us rest.

This Christian life has many challenges and from our eyes we try to build the golden calf to help us. However, when that does not work we end up figuring out all we ever needed was God’s presence and He will give us rest. The kind of rest that refreshes the soul comes from the one true and all mighty God and nothing else. Even in midst of desert conditions, with God, you will have rest. Jesus says in Mathew 11:28 “Come unto me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” He is talking to all the people who keep filling the need in their own lives with their own solutions only to become over labored and heavy laden.

Father, today we put our trust in you.  We cannot find the rest we need without you and your presence.  Help us not only to walk in your power but increase our faith to recognize your presence in everything we do.  Amen