15 Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.
One of the worst things we can do is go some place without God’s Presence. Of course God is everywhere, so is it possible to go some place without Him? We are not talking about His physical presence. Instead, Moses is talking about the blessing of having the Lord treat him and God’s people with favor, protection, and blessing. The Lord has delivered them from Egypt with powerful demonstrations of His will. This new nation of slaves is not in the position to fight any enemies. They don’t have weapons or any training. They have never had to organize themselves to do anything independent of their slave owners. Now Moses is leading them across a desert into a new land. Without the Lord, they don’t stand a chance. I think the same is true in our walk. We might think we can survive spiritually with little or no contact with other believers, but that is simply folly. We need each other. We need the support and correction that comes as we interact with each other in the Body. A lone sheep is an easy target for a wolf. So next time you are tempted to walk someplace apart from the will of God, think again. Walk closer to the Lord rather than further away. You can never get in trouble when you are close to Him. He will provide protection and care. Even when difficulties come, He is there to sustain and keep you. Moses was willing to put everything on the line in order to secure God’s presence in the journey ahead. He wanted nothing more than God’s presence with them. We should want nothing less.
The Arnold Journey 