Preschool
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 1 Peter 5:7
The Presence of God
Memory Verses
Primary
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 1 Peter 5:7
Junior
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 1 Peter 5:7
Background Scripture: Exodus 33
Lesson Scripture: Exodus 33:11-23
Introduction
We relate to other people through our God-given senses. We see and hear each other and feel the comforting closeness of friends. But who is God, and where can He be found? God is everywhere. There is no place that God is not present, for “the eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Prov. 15:3). He is all-wise. No problem is too large or too small, too simple or too complex for God to understand and solve (Rom. 11:33). He is all-powerful. No power of man or force of evil can stand before the Lord of heaven and earth. We do well to meditate on His greatness and to understand where His presence is found in our personal lives, for He is the light of the world and seeks to be our “abiding comforter” to lead us into all truth.
Key Verse
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness (Isa. 41:10).
Lesson Scripture
Exodus 33:11 And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.
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 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.
18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
21 And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:
23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.
Studying the Lesson
To appreciate the beauty of our lesson scripture, we need to reflect on the events preceding this account. While Moses was with God on Mount Sinai receiving the law, the people willfully turned their hearts to idol worship. The Lord’s anger was kindled, and He was ready to destroy His people for their sin. Moses, as a type of Christ, interceded for Israel and the Lord forgave them once again. Oh, how great is the mercy of God!
Now the Lord was ready for the people to continue their journey. Because Moses felt his weakness, he was not willing to move forward unless God led the way. Seeking divine guidance, he went to the sanctuary of God for the comfort of His presence and to find direction for the way.
God always responds to those who have humble, seeking hearts. In answer to Moses’ request, God gave him and the children of Israel the promise of His presence, assuring them that He would walk with them on their journey to the Promised Land.
Though Moses found assurance in the initial promise of God to lead them to Canaan, he wanted to see and feel the presence of the Lord in a more personal way. It is a testimony of the understanding of our heavenly Father that He felt the cry of Moses’ heart and was willing to grant him his request. As a mere mortal, Moses saw only a shadow of the physical presence of God. To see the full glory and power of God would have overwhelmed his human senses. God placed Moses in a sheltered place, covered him with His almighty hand and gave him a glimpse. Only a child of God can understand what this experience must have been like. To sense the nearness of the Lord and to feel His divine care is a touch of heaven on earth.
Practical Truths for Today
“Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there (Ps. 139:7-8). The child of God finds comfort in knowing that God is everywhere and that He overrules in the affairs of men. It is not so for the unbeliever, he resists the power of God and denies his presence. God refuses to dwell in the heart of one who has chosen to reject truth and to live in willful sin.
Today, as it was before the flood, the hearts of many people are evil continually. Sin, and the deception that it brings, is ensnaring many souls (2 Tim. 3:13). The way of the cross is being laid aside by many professing Christians; consequently, the flesh is given room to rule.
Imagine, for a moment, what the world would be like without the presence of God. All natural beauty, all power over evil, and all purity of spirit come from the strength and presence of God. God’s presence is a preserving element in the world as well as a positive influence on humanity. Swift and utter destruction would fall upon the world and its inhabitants if God would withdraw Himself.
God watches over His creation with infinite love and tender care. Not one hair falls unnoticed from our head, and not one sparrow dies unseen by God. God has a special presence reserved for His children, whom He loves and keeps as “the apple of his eye” (Deut. 32:10). The Comforter, God’s Holy Spirit, has been promised to every believer as an indwelling presence for He says, I “shall be in you” (John 14:17). How amazing that our Lord would choose to be such an intimate part of His children’s lives! It is vitally important that we recognize the presence of God, because He is our seal unto the day of redemption (Eph. 4:30).
God’s presence can be found in many everyday experiences. The promise of a new day with the assurance that “I will be with you” is found in the glory of a sunrise. Consider the miracle of a newborn baby. Wildflowers planted by the hand of God speak of a Creator who does all things well. The presence of God can be felt during family devotions or in Sunday school when heartfelt convictions are shared. In fellowship with other Christians, my burden becomes our burden as the Spirit bonds our hearts together, making us one in Christ. It is the grace of God that gives us strength to commit the souls of wayward loved ones into His care. The awful grief and loneliness of an open grave is tempered by the presence of God.
The call to sanctification is another evidence of the presence of God in our lives. While our flesh recoils at the cross, it is comforting to know that our Lord “is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9).
The ultimate reward of the faithful is to spend eternity with their Savior. On earth we can experience only a foretaste of what that will be like. How will it be to kneel at the feet of our Savior, grasp His nail-scared hands, and behold His glorified face? We will break forth into singing songs of praise to our wonderful Lord and that will last through an endless eternity.
Questions
- If the Lord in person would have been near me yesterday, would I have been ashamed or comforted by my thoughts, words, or actions? Do we need a greater awareness of God’s presence in our lives?
- Does God really care about the details of my life, such as my hairstyle, the way I dress, the vehicle I own, or how I drive? Is He interested in the decoration of my home or the way I operate my business?
- Should we be more willing to speak about God’s presence in our everyday life? Or is a quiet witness of God’s presence in our lives enough?
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Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).