Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”  The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:12-14

This records a conversation between God and Moses as God gives Moses further instructions to go to the promised land.  Moses is not so sure that God will continue to be with him on the journey. He asks for God to continue to walk with him and that God continues to make Godself known. Moses I believe knows that God is with him, but God’s presence isn’t always obvious.  

He gets jittery.  Moses is no different from us.  We know God’s promise to be with us, but sometimes we rely on ourselves alone and God seems far away and we need to be reassured. We can all identify with this feeling of inadequacy. The need for someone to hold your hand and there is no better hand to hold than the hand of God.

Verse 1 of the same chapter says God speaks to Moses face to face.  I am not going to speculate if face to face was physically, what it means however is that relationship between God and Moses was open and honest.  They could interpret the nuances of each other’s expression, just like you and I can read each other’s body language. 

Verse 14 says assures Moses that God will walk with him and Moses can rest. Rest as I understand it meant that Moses could lie easy. He did not have to be anxious, or second guess himself, but could be at peace even if it seems things were not going well, because God promised him to walk with him and God always keeps God’s promises.

God makes the same promise to us, to be with us no matter what.  God is there through the difficult times as well as the fun times. God remains with us.

Moses asks to know God to be taught God’s ways so he can always be in the way of the Lord.  This request is contrary to what many of us would ask. Moses was going to the promised land and were we walking in Moses shoes, we would ask for military prowess, the ability to subdue the enemies and to show how powerful we are.  But Moses recognize that all those things will happen if God grants one request, that of walking with Moses. 

May the understanding of Moses be ours today.  May we

Know and believe that if God walks  with us and all other things fall into place as the strength of God pilots us. The power of God preserves us. The wisdom of God instructs us.  The hand of God protects us. The way of God directs us. The shield of God defends us. The host of God guards us against the snares of evil and the temptations of the world. Where God is, all is well. All will be well, all manner of things will be well.