Quick Fixes or Deep Trust

My Presence will go with you and I will give you rest. Exodus 33:14
Israel is free of their bondage to Egypt, but in their desert wanderings, they quickly fall into the slavery of idol worship. Moses climbed up a mountain to meet with God and the people believe he’s not returning. They make a golden calf to worship instead. How quickly we replace God with something more tangible and convenient when waiting on the Lord seems to take forever. Who’s feeling the conviction here? I know I am.  Well, God’s anger burns toward the people and he declares to Moses that he will not continue with them or he would surely kill the people. Now, Moses is desperate and begs the LORD to remain with them. This is when our verse today is spoken. God hears Moses’s prayer and promises to remain with the people and give them rest. I would love if this rest referred to life being easy for them, but it doesn’t. It refers to the promise land. He will be with them and will eventually give them their promised inheritance in Canaan. He’s declaring that he will continue with them all the way to the end of their journey and beyond. He will bring his promise to completion and they will enjoy the peace that will come when they securely have possession of their land. Hebrews 4 continues this talk of rest and extends it to us. The author implores us to make every effort to enter into God’s rest…into our soul’s rest. Our confidence comes not from our good deeds, but in Jesus, who like Moses, goes to the Father for us and intercedes for us. He is our perfect bridge to God. He lived with us. He was tempted in every way and yet was without sin. He can relate to our struggles and pain, and yet he is the perfect Son of God. He can intercede for us sinful people more powerfully than Moses could. More than that, he died in our place and rose again to conquer death itself. May we today enter God’s throne room and receive the grace and mercy we need in our time of need. His Presence goes with us today and his rest is at a soul level. No matter what we are waiting for or struggling with, the Lord’s Presence is with us and through faith in Jesus, our souls can find deep rest.
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Father, thank you for going with us in life. Help us today to put down the idols that so easily tempt us to question you or give up on you. Help us to hold firm to our faith in you. Thank you that your Spirit goes with us. Thank you that we have soul rest because Jesus took our punishment for us and brings us to your Throne of grace. We fall at your feet and wait for your timing, trusting in you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.