Get Him Involved

Moses was in a bit of a quandary. The LORD had given him a new mission but had not provided much details. They were now together in the tabernacle, with the LORD speaking "unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend" (Exodus 33:11, KJV). The narrative provides an insight into the dialogue, "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 also found grace in my sight. 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. And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. 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? " (vv.12-16a).

While a proper exegesis of this portion of text is outside of our scope, it is important to note that Moses had his priorities right. He fully recognized that going anywhere without the presence of God among them was not worth doing, and he even had the tenacity to tell the LORD that if His presence was not going to be with them, He shouldn't bother carrying them. Centuries later, Solomon, the wisest of men, would reaffirm the importance of God being in the midst when he wrote, "Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain" (Psalm 127:1). Nothing that is worth accomplishing can be accomplished effectively without the LORD being a part of it.

As we stand at the beginning of a new year, what better thought to take with us as our guide for the rest of the year? Except the LORD build our lives, our relationships, our families, our businesses, our homes, our careers, we who strive to build them ourselves, do so in vain. Dare we say like Moses, if your presence is not going to be a part of what we're doing, we're not going to do it! This is not a bout of arrogance, but one of realizing our utmost dependency on God to guide our steps.

As we look back on the global economic crisis and other turmoils of 2008, how could we go into 2009 without the LORD on our side? As we face an uncertain future, it is a tremendous reassurance to know that we can talk with the one who knows the future and all that it holds, and even more importantly, He invites us to trust Him to lead the way. "Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it." Don't make the mistake of doing anything without Him being a part of it; make sure He's involved, and wait until you're sure that He is. That requires a relationship, one of transparency between you and the LORD. Have you checked on the status of that lately?

To you and yours, God's very best for 2009.