I’ve heard it said many times that taking the first step of faith is always the hardest. And, I have to say that in many ways, this statement is true. It’s hard to risk walking in faith, when you’ve never done it before. It’s hard risking everything, when you have no idea if it will even be worth it. But, along this journey, I have found that having the faith to stay, is just as hard. It’s hard to stay in faith when you can’t see how the situation will work out. It’s hard to stay, when everything seems to be falling apart. It’s hard to stay, when it seems like the easier, more comfortable, and more efficient route would be to leave.
About a week ago, we were presented with an opportunity. Everything was perfect about it. It was what we’ve been praying for. It seemed to be an opportunity that would help us do what God was calling us to do in the long term. The only problem is that the opportunity required us to leave the place that God had prepared for us. He called us here. He’s providing for us here. His favor is here…His grace is here. If we were to leave this place, without His instruction to go, we would be going alone, and that is not something that we are willing to risk.
Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” (Exodus 33:15 NIV)
Moses understood the significance of the Lord’s presence. He understood that in the Lord’s presence, we find His favor. He understood that in the Lord’s presence, we find everything that we need to do what He’s calling us to do.
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. (Psalms 91:1-4 NIV)
If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. (Psalms 91:9-13 NIV)
When we dwell with God…when we remain in His presence, we receive His protection.
In Psalms 91, we read that the Lord is our refuge and our fortress. We read that He saves us from harm. The scripture says that “He will cover [us] with his feathers, and under his wings [we] will find refuge.” It also says that “He will command his angels concerning [us] to guard [us] in all [our] ways.” But, we must understand that these promises only apply to us when we “Dwell in the shelter of the Most High.” This is the prerequisite…this is the stipulation that God has put on these promises of protection that He has given us. If we choose not to do our part, God can very well choose not to do His part.
The books of Exodus and Numbers give us a visual of what it looks like to remain in the presence of the Lord.
By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people. (Exodus 13:21-22 NIV)
Whenever the cloud lifted from above the tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped. At the Lord’s command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the Lord’s order and did not set out. (Numbers 9:17-19 NIV)
Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out. At the Lord’s command they encamped, and at the Lord’s command they set out. They obeyed the Lord’s order, in accordance with his command through Moses. (Numbers 9:22-23 NIV)
Why was remaining in the presence of the Lord so important to the Israelites?
Well, we must remember everything that they had been through. They were enslaved for generations. They were trapped…there was no way out, until the Lord rescued them. He is the one that sent plague after plague, revealing His glory in Egypt. It was His strength and power that convinced the Egyptians to let them go, and the Israelites understood this. They understood that without Him, they would still be enslaved. They understood that if it wasn’t for His love, His favor, and His protection…they would still be enslaved. And this is the posture that Moses was speaking from when he said, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.”
We must remember our history with God.
Yes, the opportunity was great. Yes, it seemed to be exactly what we’ve been waiting for. But at the same time, we did not believe that God was instructing us to go. His presence has settled here, and we will remain here until his presence leads us somewhere else.
Why?
Because we remember where He brought us from. Our family was separated for years. Our lives were in disarray. We were broken…our children were broken. There seemed to be no way out of our situation. The facts told us that we were headed towards divorce…but the presence of the Lord showed up. He took our hopeless situation and gave us a beautiful story of restoration, redemption, and hope. If it wasn’t for Him, our family would not be together today.
His presence is better than any opportunity.
Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. (Psalms 84:10-11 NIV)
With His presence, comes all the opportunity that we need, but we must have the faith to stay. We must be like Abraham, who stayed in a foreign land believing that one day his descendants would inherit the promise. We must be like David, who remained submitted to God even in the face of his enemy. Even as his life was threatened over and over again, he never took matters into his own hands. He trusted that God would come through on his promise. We must be like Ruth, who stayed with her mother-in-law…even after her husband died…even when it made more sense to leave.
These people didn’t stay because it made sense. They stayed because they desired to dwell with God. They wanted His continued protection. They wanted His continued favor. They wanted to see the promise that He had given them.
When we leave His covering, we forfeit everything that He has prepared for us beneath His covering.
For a moment, I want to ponder what might have happened if Abraham, David, and Ruth did not have the faith to stay…
If Abraham had not stayed in Canaan as a foreigner, the Isarelites would have never known the promised land. If David had not remained submitted to God, he would have never inherited the throne of Israel. If Ruth had not stayed with Naomi, she would have never met Boaz, we would have never known of David (she was his great-grandmother), and the details of Jesus’ genealogy would be completely different.
Having the faith to stay matters more than we think.
I have no idea where you are in life. I have no idea where you are in your journey with God. But, I want you to know that your faith matters. Your decision to step out in faith…matters. Your decision to remain in faith…matters. It makes the difference, as you walk towards purpose. It is the determining factor on whether or not you receive the protection and favor of God. But, this doesn’t just matter in relation to your life. It matters to your children, and your children’s children. It matters to everyone connected to you. It matters to everyone that God has or will place in your path. You matter…your faith matters. So today, make the decision that you will stay…even when it gets tough…even when you can’t see how you will get to your promised land. As long as you remain with Him, you will have everything that you need. He will protect you. He will provide for you. He will prepare the path ahead of you. Remain in Him, and watch Him bring forth promises in your life.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for calling me and thank you for the amazing promises that you have given me. Today, I have been reminded that remaining in faith is just as important as stepping out in faith. I must remain in you, if I am to see your protection and favor in my life. I must remain in you, if I am to see the promises that you have prepared for me. So today, I am making the decision to stay in faith…even in the tough times…even when I can’t see a way forward. I will trust in you. I will trust that you have good things planned for me. I will trust that you have sent provision ahead of me. I will trust that in your presence, I will have all that I need. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for choosing me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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