Topic: Come with Us [Tuesday 2, January 2018]
Memorise: And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. – Exodus 33:14
Read: Exodus 33:12-17 (KJV)
12 And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.
13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.
14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
15 And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.
16 For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.
17 And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.
Bible in One Year: Genesis 3-4, Revelation 2:1-17, Hymn: Sing Hymn 2: I Need Thee Every Hour
MESSAGE:
Only a fool would think that he or she can exist independent of God, who is the Maker of the heavens and the earth and all that is in them (Romans 1:20-22). Moses, the servant of God, knew this and he consequently did not make the mistake of doing anything without God’s approval. In today’s Bible reading, he insisted on the presence of God going with them as they journeyed through the wilderness to the Promised Land.
There is this story of three fishes in the sea living under the threat of sharks. They went to the Almighty God to ask for help concerning the danger of death looming over them.
The first fish asked God for many eyes so that it could see sharks approaching from any direction and escape to safety. The second fish demanded for wings so that it could fly away from the reach of sharks whenever they came after it. The third fish only asked for the presence of the Almighty God wherever it went. The Lord granted all their requests, and they swam away happily. Not long after, sharks came after the first fish, and immediately with its many eyes, it saw them coming! It took a jump into a nearby pond where the sharks could not go and began to laugh at the sharks. However, the water in the pond soon began to dry up and this fish died. The second fish also saw sharks coming for it, because it had been granted wings, it flew like a bird out of the water, but only to be caught in the air by an eagle flying by. So, the second fish ended up in the stomach of an eagle, which was happily surprised to have a delicious fish as its mid-flight meal. In contrast to these, the third fish, which had wisely requested the presence of the Lord, went swimming about without any fear of death from ferocious sharks. It was basking in the protection that comes with carrying the presence of the Lord. When the mother-shark would not go after it, the baby-shark asked its mother, “Why don’t we eat this beautiful fish?” The mother-shark cautioned it against entertaining such ideas, pointing to the shadow of the Almighty God following the fish everywhere.
Beloved, all that you need to succeed and have breakthroughs this year is God’s Presence in your life. I therefore encourage you to give your life totally to God through Jesus Christ. For His Presence to envelope your life, you need to walk daily with Him by fellowshipping with Him in the place of prayer and worship, and by framing your every thought around His Word. If you are faithful in doing this, He will abide with you, and you will live in safety throughout this year and beyond (Psalm 91:1-2).
Key Point: The God that creates is the One that prospers, and He is the One that protects. Seek and ask for His Presence in all that you do from today.
Hymn 2: I Need Thee Every Hour
I need Thee every hour,
Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine
Can peace afford.
Chorus:
I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
Oh, bless me now, my Savior!
I come to Thee.
- I need Thee every hour,
Stay Thou near by;
Temptations lose their power
When Thou art nigh. -
I need Thee every hour,
In joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide,
Or life is vain. -
I need Thee every hour,
Teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises
In me fulfil.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministries.
