Daily Devotional
Word of the Day
No Greater Reward
Pastor Scott
Saturday, July 03, 2004
Listen to this teaching | Related Teaching | Bible Teaching | 
Print
"And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest."
(Exodus 33:14)
Moses said, "Lord, You said to bring the people, but there is no way. You say that I am Your friend. If I have found grace in Your sight, show me the way that I may know. Show me by Your visitation that the people are willing to follow and have an appetite for You, that You won't cast them off in their rebellion. Show me that I have found grace in Thy sight." God said, "My presence shall be with you, and I will give you rest" (Exod. 33:14). Do you wonder if the grace of God is working in you? God will give you rest. Moses responded in verse 15, "If Your presence does not go with me, I'm not interested in going in any other strength. I'm not interested in success as man knows it. I'm not interested in the abundance of things, money, houses, lands; they don't satisfy. I'm not interested in Your angel going before me and causing me to partake of the abundance of the land that flows with milk and honey. If Your presence does not go, I am not interested in going." Is that where you are today really? If God is not the source, then I don't want it. As I have tried to live that way, God has given me grace to be able to live it much of the time. Not only does that cause you to appreciate the value of God, but it strengthens and sustains you because of the grace, peace, presence, and rest that comes along with it. Anything other than His rest leaves you discontent, fearful, and ambitious.
When we talk about grace, the presence of God will be discerned by rest and peace. We need to ask ourselves the question, "Am I at rest? Am I content right now?" Are we content with our economic and marital status? How satisfied are we in this society with the way we look? What is the origin of discontentment? What causes us to be dissatisfied with who we are and how God has made and gifted us? We get preoccupied with self--selfness, selfishness. Because we don't live a life of serving and giving, we always have plans of how to acquire. That compulsion to get is killing the rest. We just can't believe that God our Father will give us what's best for us. We just don't believe that our Father is good and that He knows best. Our opinion of ourselves, our perception and our value system is too high.
Jesus says, "You need to yoke up with Me, and I will bring you to that rest. I will introduce you to the presence of God." The awareness of His presence comes through being obedient to speak of His will only. Then the nations will know who we are--a separate people, a peculiar people, a holy nation that show forth the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.
Father, we thank You for Your Word. You've told us to labor to enter into that rest. There's an effort made to daily die to self. That's the labor that brings rest. There is a rest to the people of God, those without agenda, who like Jacob say, "I'll not turn You loose until You've blessed me"--until I've had an awareness of Your majesty, Your goodness, Your purpose. Show me Your face and it will suffice me. For there is no greater treasure than Your presence and no greater reward than Your rest. Make it real to us, Father, and we'll give You the glory, in Jesus' name.