Led by Presence

“If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” –  Exodus 33:15 (NIV)

After the devastating rupture of trust in Exodus 32—the golden calf, the broken tablets, the grief of betrayal—God tells Moses in chapter 33 that the people will still reach the Promised Land, but He will not go with them. His holiness cannot dwell among their stubbornness.

This is not a punishment of distance—it’s a warning of mercy. And it breaks Moses’ heart.

So he enters the Tent of Meeting, not to plead for land or favor, but for Presence. He knows that without God, the journey means nothing. And in verse 15, he speaks the words that echo through every faithful heart: “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.”

Moses understood what we often forget: God’s leadership is not remote—it’s relational. He walks beside us, not just ahead of us.

Today, we may not see pillars of cloud or fire, but we are not left without guidance. The Holy Spirit dwells within us—comforting, convicting, and companioning. The Spirit doesn’t just point the way; it shares the journey. It whispers in our wilderness and steadies us in our storms.

To be led by Presence means we carry sacred awareness not only into our modern Tent of Meeting but into ordinary places—into meetings, hospital rooms, classrooms, and quiet mornings. It means we seek God not just in outcomes, but in nearness.

We pause before going. We listen before deciding. We ask not just “What should I do?” but “Are you coming with me?”

To be led by Presence means we seek God not only in the big decisions, but in the small moments that shape our days. And when we feel distant or unsure, we return to the Tent. We seek again. We ask again. Because the Presence is not earned—it’s invited.

God of cloud and fire, of whisper and wind—we do not want to go where you are not.  Teach us to seek Your Presence above all else. Let Your Spirit guide our steps, comfort our hearts, and dwell in our decisions. May we be a people marked not by success, but by your nearness. Amen.

Peace & Grace,

Pastor Tim