When you sense God’s presence and know He’s with you, you can handle whatever life brings. Try to imagine the assignment Moses had – liberating two million people from the grip of slavery: leading them through a wilderness where they were exposed to enemies and elements such as extreme heat and cold; feeding them, clothing them, settling their disputes, and keeping them moving towards their destiny. This is what Moses prayed: ‘If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us’ (v. 15 NKJV). Moses preferred to go nowhere with God than anywhere without Him. When David’s affair with Bathsheba was exposed, he didn’t pray, ‘Don’t take my crown from me, or my kingdom, or my army.’ No, he knew what mattered most: ‘Do not take Your Holy Spirit from me’ (Psalm 51:11 NKJV). In order to grow spiritually, you must develop an increasing awareness of God’s presence in your life. How do you do that? Instead of being a rock, become a sponge. When you place a rock in the ocean, its surface gets wet but its core remains hard and dry. But when you place a sponge in the ocean, the water alters the very essence of its being. Slow down and sense God’s presence. Begin by reading this Scripture, writing it down, repeating it over and over, and opening every pore of your soul to God’s presence: ‘The Lord your God is with you; his power gives you victory. The Lord will take delight in you, and in his love he will give you new life. He will sing and be joyful over you’ (Zephaniah 3:17 GNT).
