PRESENCE AND REST
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"My presence shall go with you — and I will give you rest." Exodus 33:14
Moses asked to be shown "the way." Here is the answer: The way is not shown; but better than this, God says, "Trust Me — I Myself will go with you!" Afflicted one! hear the voice addressing you from the cloudy pillar. It is a wilderness promise which "the God of Jeshurun" speaks to His spiritual Israel still. He who led His people of old "like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron," will manifest towards you the same Shepherd love. The way may be very different from what we could have wished; what we would have chosen. But the choice is in better hands. He had His own wise and righteous ends in every diverse turning in it.
Who can look back on the past leadings of God without gratitude and thankfulness? When His sheep have been conducted to the rougherparts of the wilderness — He, their Shepherd, has "gone before them. When their fleece was torn, and they were footsore and weary — He has borne them in His arms! His presence has lightened every cross — and sweetened every care. Let us trust Him for an unknown and checkered future. Other companionships we cherished may have failed us — but One who is better than the best, goes before us in His gracious pillar cloud. With God Himself for our portion, take what He will away — we can be happy; we can rise above the loss of the earthly gift, in the consciousness of the nobler possession and heritage we enjoy in the Great Bestower.
He may have seen fit to level clay idols, that He, the All Satisfying One — might reign paramount and supreme. He may have seen to take "earthly presences" away — to cause us to breathe more earnestly the prayer "If YOUR presence go not with us — do not carry us hence." He will not allow us to rear havens on earth, and to write upon them, "This is my rest!" No — it is 'tenting time' here; resting time yonder! But "Fear not," He seems to say, "You are not left without a friend or without solace on the way, Pilgrim in a pilgrim land! My presenceshall go with you — in all your dark and cloudy days; in your hours of faintness and dejection; in sadness; in life and in death! And when the journey is ended — I will give you rest."
The pledge of Grace — will be followed with the fruition of Glory!
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