Exodus 33:15-16 Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.”
Serious question: How many of us have this, “God, if Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here,” posture? I have to ask myself this constantly. Really, think about it. If you were given the opportunity to have all the money, the best cars, the biggest house, the most prestigious degree, the utmost notoriety, but God was not there to go before you, would you still want it? As followers of Christ, we have to come to the realization that the blessing is not merely in the gift, but rather in the Gift Giver. Now, I am not saying that God does not reward those who diligently seek Him. We know that He does! “Every good gift and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of Lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning,” (James 1:17). But, is our treasure in the good gifts, or the One who these good gifts come from? If God said to you, “It’s not my will for you to have an abundance of money, the biggest house, and the best cars, nevertheless I will never leave you nor forsake you,” would you still perceive yourself as one who is blessed? Would God still be good to you? Or can God change? Is He not the same God that was, is, and forever will be?
I know these questions may make you feel a bit uncomfortable, but challenge yourself. Ask yourself these questions with an open heart. God won't lead you wrong. If you have been of the mindset that your life consists in the abundance of the things you possess, rather than in the abounding grace of the One who possesses you, take a step back, and ask God to create a new heart in you. He will do it.
Don't feel guilty. Don’t allow the enemy to tell you that God doesn't love you. Remember, that the Lord chastens whom He loves. So if you are feeling convicted, thank God, repent, and shift your focus from the gifts to the Gift Giver.
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Jesus, the Christ.
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