Daily Devotional
Word of the Day
Taking God For Granted
Pastor Scott
Friday, July 02, 2004
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"I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way."
(Exodus 33:3)
Many of us think that if we had possessions, if we had more, if we had peace, if we got healed in our bodies or whatever it is, then we would finally be at rest and content. God said, "I'll give you all of that, but I won't be in your midst because you are a stiff necked people." How hardheaded are we? How stiff necked are we? How deceived are we to believe that fulfilling our agenda will bring us contentment and peace, that we know better what we need than God does? Most of us would never verbalize this, but to be discontent or anxious is to say that God doesn't care, doesn't know and is not able. He gives the people the option of sending the angel and blessing them in this land that flows with milk and honey, but He wouldn't come because they were stiff necked. Basically God said, "Since you really desire all of these things more than My presence, I'll give you these things and keep My presence to Myself."
Moses took the tabernacle, pitched it far off without the camp and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation (Exod. 33:7). God's presence was removed from them; now they had to go seek God. God sought them and made Himself available; but they had chosen time after time their own agenda, treasures and methods. Finally God said, "Fine, I'll just leave you to yourself." The Scripture then says that it came to pass that everyone who sought the Lord went out unto the tabernacle. When Moses went to the tabernacle all the people rose up and stood at their station and looked after Moses intently until he had disappeared into the tabernacle. When Moses would enter in, the glory cloud would descend. All the people saw the pillar, the Shekinah, at the tabernacle door and the people rose up and worshipped. "And the LORD," verse 11 says, "spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun...departed not out of the tabernacle." The spirit of the young man Joshua was not content outside of the presence of God. He had a pretty good position; it meant something to be seen hanging out with Moses. Moses was the man. Joshua stood with Moses and walked around with him through the congregation. But because he spent time with Moses, he knew what the real treasure was. He wanted what Moses had--a face to face relationship with God where he could speak to Him as his friend.
The people were anxious as they waited and looked for that visitation. See what they lost because they took it for granted. You have more than they ever had--God said, "I will take their heart of stone and turn it into a heart of flesh. I will tabernacle in them." Have you taken God's presence for granted? You could lose it too. How will you know if you've ever lost it? Do you have peace today? Do you have rest? Joshua wouldn't leave the tabernacle. He was consumed with the presence of God. Nothing else could satisfy him. Do you continue to look for something that will satisfy you, or have you tasted and seen the goodness of God?