Here in Exodus 33 we have another stunning example of an interaction between God and Moses that changes the course of history for Israel. God announces that he will send an angel ahead of them to ensure the conquest of the promised land, but he will not go with him, lest he destroy them along the way. But Moses will not go without God. The sentiment is a stunning demonstration of tenacious child-like faith. Moses says: “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” He will go with God or he will not go at all. In other words, for Moses, the most important thing was not where the journey took him but who took him on the journey. So, Moses and the people set themselves to seeking God’s mercy. They put off all ornaments (symbols of celebration) in a symbolic gesture of spurning any kind of joy that comes independently of God. We could easily end up living without God, but the thought of it should horrify us as it did the Israelites. If you really want to walk with God, you can. But you must really want this. To want God less than desperately is to want something less than God. You must teach your heart to seek God above all else and not be content without God. You must determine, like Moses, to go with God or not at all. Refuse to live without God. Ask God to lead you. Insist on this. This will delight the heart of God because then your desire for him will begin to reflect his desire for you.
Pray the prayer that Moses prayed for your own life journey.
Read Exodus 33:1-6
