Good Or God? With John BevereSample

The Greatest Goal

Years ago, I asked God what my goal in life should be. He answered by taking me to the story of Moses.

Moses was an Israelite raised as a privileged prince in Egypt. He had the best of everything, but he wasn’t satisfied. Something inside Moses told him he couldn't attain his true desire where he currently resided. He chose to leave his place in the most affluent nation on earth because he was after a greater reward.

What was this reward? Moses himself didn’t know at first. It wasn’t until forty years after he left the palace that he met God and experienced His presence. (You'll find that account in Exodus 3.) Once this happened, Moses’s goal was set. We can see what this goal was by looking later in his story.

In Exodus 33, Moses has led Israel out of Egypt. This is a stressful time for him. His national approval rating is low, and the desert he and the people are traveling in is full of challenges. Wandering in the wilderness doesn't seem any better than slavery in Egypt. However, the people have a hope: Canaan, their land of promise, a place God has said is overflowing with abundance.

Now God has instructed Moses to take the people into this land. He's declared there will be a mighty angel to guide them and drive out their foes. There's just one catch: God Himself will not go.

Moses’s reply is mind-boggling. In essence, he tells God, “If I have to choose between Your presence and Your blessing, I’ll take Your presence.”

This was Moses’s great reward. Nothing mattered more to Him than knowing God intimately.

Can the same be said of us?

Before you can answer yes to that question, you must first be able to answer another. Do you know what it means to be in God’s presence?

The passion for God that Moses possessed only comes from experiencing His presence firsthand. And God wants us to experience Him! James 4:8 says He draws near to us when we draw near to Him. We do this by praying, worshipping, and reading His Word, not as obligations but because we’re pursuing a relationship with a Person.

Seeking God Himself is what protects us from the temptation of lesser pursuits, including those that seem good on the surface. Make intimacy with Him your greatest goal!