READ: Isaiah 40:6-8
“And he said, MY PRESENCE SHALL GO WITH THEE, and I will give thee rest. And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.” – Exodus 33:14-15
If Moses refused to go out into ministry without the presence of God, how can you go out into life and ministry without the presence of God? Moses was the greatest prophet of the Old Testament. God used him mightily. Yet, he said he would not venture out without the presence of God.
You need God’s presence to go with you because you are nothing but grass. All flesh is grass! You are grass! Many dead people have dissolved into the soil and have grown up as grass on the field. The grass withers! People wither! To wither is to shrivel up and dry up. All men shrivel and dry up. All men shrink out of existence. The goodliness, loveliness in your life is like the flower of the field. All flowers fade very quickly! All men fade very quickly! All men gradually lose their brightness, their freshness and their colour.
What can withering grass accomplish? What can a fading flower accomplish? Nothing! You are nothing but withering grass and a fading flower! Without the presence of God, you can do and will do nothing. We need the presence of God to do anything.
The scripture teaches that your body will be sown in weakness, in dishonour and in corruption (1 Corinthians 15:42-44). At your funeral, you will be put into the ground. We will all go into the ground in weakness, in dishonour and in corruption. How can someone who is weak, dishonourable and corrupt be used by God? You need His presence to go with you because of your weakness, dishonour, and corruption. Moses was weak, corrupt and dishonourable. He was wanted in Egypt for murder. He did not need anybody to tell him that he needed God’s presence. He argued with God: “If your presence does not go with me, I am not going anywhere.”