Barefoot in His PresenceShembull

The One Thing We Can’t Go Without

“Then He taught, saying to them, Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’” (Mark 11:17, NKJV). His House, Jesus said, will be a place of communion and seeking Him. It will be a place that contends for the Salvation of the nations. Unfortunately, it has become, in so many places, a den of thieves. A place where the gold has become the main concern and not God or the Salvation of the nations. We become thieves and make church a den of thieves when we are more concerned about what we can get out of it, rather than what we are willing to sacrifice and lay our lives down for. Thieves come to get. Worshippers come to give.

“God tested Moses on this very thing. 'Is it about you Moses and what you can get out of it, or is it about Me?'” “9) And he said, “O Lord, if it is true that I have found favor with you, then please travel with us. … Claim us as your own special possession.” (Exodus 34:8,9, NLT). When God called Moses up the mountain, Moses chose Him above all else.

“14) And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15) Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. 16) For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.” (Exodus 33:14-16, NLT). God tested Moses’ motivation. Was it about what he could have out of the deal? Was it about having the promises without Him? Or was it about where Moses’ heart connected to God and who He is? Moses’ choice was very clear: “I’d rather take the desert with Him, than to have the promises without Him.” The question we all need to answer is, is it about God or what we can get out of the deal?

God appeared to Gideon. He greeted him with the words, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!” (Judges 6:12, NKJV). It is like God was saying, “Gideon, the most important aspect that you need to conquer the enemy is My Enduring Presence.”Like Gideon, we’re looking for something else. Our eyes are veiled from seeing what we really need. We need God! We need His Presence. We need Him with us! Instead, we are asking the same questions Gideon asked. If the Lord is with us, why are we struggling, where are the miracles, and why does the enemy have the upper hand? (Judges 6:13).

Gideon’s answer reflects our own hearts. We want things. We want answers. We want victories. We measure God's Abiding Presence by these things. We are not satisfied with Him alone! We measure His Blessing by material things and call them blessings. The distinguishing sign is His Presence. It is His Presence that makes us a Peculiar People. It is His Presence that separates us.

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