If You Don’t Go with Me

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If You Don’t Go with Me

by Meredith Giles

October 26, 2024

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If You Don’t Go with Me

Exodus 33:12-15

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.” Then Moses said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.”

Moses was a “friend of God.” Poor Moses was called to lead a bunch of grumbling, dissatisfied people, who consistently mumbled and complained, finding fault with everything. When the Lord told Moses to take the people up to the Promised Land, but that He would not go with them because He would destroy these very people as they traveled, Moses said, “No way! Absolutely not!” Moses wasn’t going anywhere unless the Lord was going with him. How did God respond to Moses when he had this outburst? God agreed to do the very thing Moses asked because He knew Moses was His friend. He knew Moses by name, and God was very pleased with him. Like Abraham who had come before him, Moses was hungry for more of God, wanting to know Him more and more. Moses’ desire was for even more than hearing God; He wanted to see God. Think about. God was speaking to Moses and the Israelites from the pillar of cloud whenever he entered the Tabernacle and that Moses’ face shown so brightly with the glory of God that Moses had to cover his face when he left the Tabernacle so people could talk with him. Moses wanted to see God face to face. Think about what Moses said! Wow! God walked past Moses so closely! What else could Moses do but bow to the ground and worship the Lord. The glory of the Almighty had been seen by him. This solidified the very thought even more to Moses that he didn’t want to go anywhere if God was not going with him. Are you with Moses? I am! I can’t imagine trying to do life without His Presence and leading. The Word tells us that our heavenly Father even busies Himself with our every step, and that He never leaves us nor forsakes us. Somehow, I don’t believe we have a great enough understanding of the greatness and Almightiness of our God. How can He be everywhere at one time? How is it possible that He can do anything, and I mean anything, like parting the Red Sea and over a million people cross over and then drown Pharaoh and his army in the same sea? How can He know every thought and every intent of every person that has ever been and ever will be, let alone everyone who is alive and well right now here on earth, and all at the same time? I’m speechless just thinking about it. I am with Moses. I don’t want to live without our God. That would be most foolish. I pray you feel the same.

What about you? Do you sense your need of Father God? Do you long for His Presence? Would you like to pray as Moses prayed that you would be able to see Him? Let’s cry out to Him that we may draw closer and closer to Him each and every day. Blessings on your day.

A Good Reputation

November 7, 2024

A Good Reputation Acts 5:13 AMPC The people (outside the church) held them in high regard and praised and made much of them. What is the reason that the church was held in such high regard and respect? I believe it was because they had a higher lifestyle. The church were Kingdom-level thinkers and lived according to Kingdom principles. Here’s the usual question—are we to compromise kingdom principles to honor and obey our civil authorities? Absolutely not! John the Baptist warned King Herod of his lawlessness when he was sleeping with his brother’s wife. John the Baptist was beheaded because he spoke the truth to Herod. Herod feared John as a prophet. Many times people approach officials with attitudes of superiority, criticism, and judgment. These are not attitudes of honor and respect but grating approaches to others we do not agree with. Shadrah, Meshach, and Abednego talked to the king with honor even though they spoke against His idolatry. Can we find it in our hearts to pray for those who are holding positions of leadership whether we agree with them or not? God can confront those who stand for wrong laws that are harmful and not of God. If they are not godly in their views God is able to remove them and replace them with godly men and women. Yet we want to have open communication and without anger and sarcasm, be able to share and speak our hearts with others who do not see eye to eye with us. If the church is not perceived by our leaders as those who walk in the love and compassion of Jesus Christ, and true honor for their place of authority, they will not listen to our words. We are to be as wise as serpents, as the Bible says, and as gentle as doves. This is wisdom from above. There may be times when God sends a spiritual leader to deliver a strong message to someone in authority even as the Lord sent prophets to the kings in the Old Testament. God can give us wisdom how to agree to disagree yet speak our hearts with respect and kindness. I Peter 2:17 says to “Fear God. Honor the king.” Peter said, “How can you say you fear God whom you do not see, when you cannot honor the leader, He has placed His authority upon that you do see?” If we truly fear God, we will trust the Lord that He is in total control over those who are in authority. I have heard it said that people get the leaders many times they deserve. Let’s pray daily for those in authority for God’s wisdom and righteousness. If they are evil, let’s believe the Lord to work to bring godly leaders over us. We honor God as we respect and pray for those He has allowed in position. What about you? What is your attitude about those who are in places of authority, both good and bad? Ask the Holy Spirit to give you wisdom of how to pray for them and guide you in your conversation concerning them. May He guide you throughout your day. Have a blessed day in Him.

Joy Comes in the Morning

November 6, 2024

Joy Comes in the Morning Psalm 30:5b Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. As much as we don’t like weeping, we all have seasons that have caused us to weep. Weeping is the reality of living in a fallen, sorrowful, sinful world. As much as we all would like to escape it, there is sadness in on earth. Things are not all as they should be. We could name a whole long list of sins committed in this world that cause us to weep. Therefore, there will always be weeping. Friends and loved ones who have suffered loss over recent days. Tremendous hurt and trauma from broken, painful relationships. Mistreatment and abuse that cause such grief and pain and suffering. I’m sure you have even wondered as I have, when is this going to end? You may even be wondering that very thought today over your own life’s situations. When is it going to stop? God can give us a deep grace to help us trust Him that there is a day coming when our sorrow will be turned into joy by our heavenly Father. Our verse for today encourages us to trust in the Lord’s faithfulness. There are dear saints who I observe, and I am mystified and humbled at their unconditional love and care over a disabled child or mate who they carefully, gently, and lovingly care for, bringing them out to events, Bible studies, etc., lifting them in and out of their vehicle, to the detriment of their own health. You can only imagine the scheduling and rigid routine it takes to get their loved one ready as well as themselves to be able to participate with others. My heart goes out to them, both the sick and the caretaker. I’m sure there have been many times when the weeping felt like it would never end for them. Yet our verse tells us that joy comes in the morning. In other words, when the nights are long and the sorrow is unrelenting, and you wonder if it’s ever going to end, verse 5 speaks to us loud and clear, it is going to end. Sorrow and moaning will not have the last word. Disease and sickness will not have the victorious last word in your life. We know that because Jesus always is the One who has the last word, so life has the last word, salvation has the last word, which means hope has the last word. Psalm 30:11 the psalmist says, You’ve turned my mourning into dancing. You’ve loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness that my glory may sing Your praise and not be silent. Oh Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever. Weeping may endure for the night, but remember this, joy comes in the morning. Whether you presently are in a dark, hard time right now, or that time is just around the corner, remember it is temporary. It’s temporary whether you’re walking through it right now, or you walk through it for a season to come, it will be temporary. Jesus tells us He has conquered sin and death and the grave. He has risen in victory over all of that and He will have the last word. If your loved one is not healed here on earth, they will have complete healing in our heavenly home. And for those miracles here on earth, the physical and inner healings still do happen. God is the Healer of it all and He knows exactly how and when to do it. Let’s keep coming to Him knowing that mourning will turn into dancing and joy does come in the morning. What about you? Are you discouraged over what seems to be a never-ending situation? Dear one, continue to find your place before Him, believing His Word that weeping will end, and joy will come in your morning. Blessings and renewed strength for your day.

Live by Every Word

November 5, 2024

Live By Every Word Matthew 4:4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ This verse is a very strategic and powerful verse. This is admonition and strength given to us how to live each and every day. The word “Word,” rhema means that which is said or spoken, an utterance. Logos is the message; rhema is the communication of the message. In reference to the Bible, logos is the Bible in its entirety; rhema is a verse from the Bible. The meaning of rhema in distinction to logos is illustrated in Ephesians 6:17 which says “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” I almost had a panic attack the other night when I could not find my Bible and my journal which neither is very far out of my reach. I hunted all around my bedroom, looked down the the kitchen, dining room and living room, all to no avail. I was about to journey out to the car to check, when I decided to look one more time in my bedroom. To my chagrin, my husband had tossed the blankets over my books when he was getting into bed to read. A wave of relief flooded my soul! Whew! The Word of God is my lifeline. Abba speaks to me every time I pull away and spend time with Him. It is important to me to journal what He speaks so that I can go back and review it and know that as I meditate of His Word, He, by the power of His Holy Spirit will, by supernatural osmosis, work that all into my spirit and life. We can trust the Lord to speak through His Word, a specific word for right where you are at presently. There may be times when you pull aside to be with the Lord in His Word and it seems that there is nothing spoken to you. Be patient. I have had times when it seems that the Lord was not speaking anything, then the very next time I am reading the Word, suddenly, all that seemed to be saying nothing, all came together with a powerful Word from the Lord! Wow! Stay faithful to pull aside and hear Him speak. The Lord also speaks to our spirit through our thoughts, that still small voice of God, and you wonder was that my thinking that or was it the Voice of the Living God? Many times, we can push His Voice aside thinking “Oh, that was nothing. That was just my wishful thinking or my daydreaming thinking. Oh God, help us to be more discerning to your Voice from You Word and when You speak to our spirit, whether gently or with a roar. This is how we are to live, by every word that proceeds from our precious Abba Father. I don’t want to miss, not even one word, that He speaks to me, not one! Dear one, please draw close to the Lord as He has much, much, much to reveal and say to you! Don’t miss anything He has for you! What about you? Do you have a desire to hear His voice and live by every word that proceeds from His mouth? I pray you do. Take time daily and listen and live by every word He will speak to you. He loves you so! Blessings on your day.