Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Foreign.
[00:00:07] Hey everybody, Pastor Chuck Allen here. And today we're still in the book of Exodus this week. And I want to talk to you today about don't go without him. Good morning or afternoon, whatever time you're listening. Today we, we made it to Thursday, and it's been a fun few days in Exodus and we'll wrap up tomorrow.
[00:00:29] So in Exodus, we start with a baby in a basket.
[00:00:33] We take a look at burning bushes. Ordinary staffs walk through the middle of the sea. And today, what happens after the miracles when the people of God are out in the wilderness and have to learn how to live one day at a time?
[00:00:48] Because here's the thing about the Red Sea.
[00:00:51] It was spectacular, but it was one day.
[00:00:55] And the very next stretch of the journey was nothing but desert.
[00:01:00] Not long after crossing the Red Sea, the people get hungry and they start griping and complaining. And instead of scolding them, God makes them a promise. In Exodus 16:4, it says, the Lord said to Moses, look, I'm going to rain down food from heaven for you.
[00:01:22] Each day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they need for that day.
[00:01:27] They called it manna. And the key phrase is, as much food as they need for that day. Not for the month, not for the year, for that day.
[00:01:39] And if they tried to hoard it, it quickly spoiled.
[00:01:43] God was teaching a nation of former slaves that they could trust him for today, and then you could absolutely trust him again tomorrow.
[00:01:56] A lot of our anxiety I'm pretty sure a lot of our anxiety comes from trying to gather next month's manna. With this morning's strength.
[00:02:06] We lie awake trying to solve problems that we haven't arrived at yet. But God's pattern in the wilderness is, in its own way, daily grace enough for today, fresh mercy again tomorrow.
[00:02:22] You don't have to carry next week today.
[00:02:25] So if you fast forward to chapter 33, Israel has made some really goofball mistakes by this point, including worshiping a golden calf while Moses is on the mountain. And God tells Moses that the people can go on to the promised Land, but that he's not going to go with them himself.
[00:02:44] They'll get the land, but they won't have his presence.
[00:02:47] And Moses responds with a super honest conversation in the Scriptures. Listen to God's answer in verse 14 and Moses reply in verse 15, the Lord replied, I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest. Everything will be fine for you. And then Moses says, if you don't personally go with us, don't make us leave this place.
[00:03:13] You gotta love Moses for this, y'. All. He's saying, lord, I'd rather stay in the desert with youh than go to the Promised Land without you. He'd already seen what God could do. He'd seen the plagues, the sea, the manna. But what he wanted most wasn't the miracle. He wanted the God that was responsible for the miracles.
[00:03:33] That's a question worth asking at the end of a really long week. What do I really want?
[00:03:38] Do I want God's blessings or do I want God?
[00:03:42] Because it's possible to chase the promise and forget the presence of God. It's possible to get the brand new job or the new house. The next goal you achieve and feel still empty when you get there. Because when you get there without God, it's just not good.
[00:04:02] Moses understood that the land flowing with milk and honey was would mean absolutely nothing if God wasn't in it with them. And look at what God promises.
[00:04:12] I will personally go with you. I will give you rest.
[00:04:17] Presence and rest, friend, hand in glove.
[00:04:21] When God goes with you, you don't have to carry the weight of the world alone.
[00:04:26] You can rest even in the middle of the desert and the wilderness, because you're not walking by yourself.
[00:04:34] So as you head into Friday and then the weekend following, here's my encouragement on this Thursday.
[00:04:42] First, gather today's manna and leave tomorrow to God.
[00:04:47] Trust him for what you need today.
[00:04:50] And then second, pray the prayer. Moses prayed, lord, if you're not going with me, I don't want to go.
[00:04:57] Make his presence the thing you want most today.
[00:05:01] Let everything else come after that.
[00:05:03] Well, I'll be back tomorrow and we'll wrap up our chat about Exodus. Have a great Thursday. I'll see you back Friday morning. God bless you. Thanks so much for joining me on today's weekday podcast.
