Moses is giving his farewell speech to the Israelites and succeeding his leadership to Joshua.  After wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, it is time for the people of Israel to enter the promised land.  However, Moses will not be going with them.  For the first time since leaving Egypt, Moses will not be their leader. Imagine the fear and anxiety among the people.  They know that they will be going into battle with the current inhabitants living in the promise land.  And at this crucial time, their leader would not be with them.  It is in the midst of those uncertain times, that Moses shares the promise of God’s presence with His people.

We live in a society where people are seeking the blessings of God, without seeking the presence of God.  It is through His presence that we get to experience the benefits of that relationship.  We live in an uncertain world filled with anxiety.  Currently there is great concern about the future of our world with the development of AI.  There are wars and battles that are taking place that are causing human suffering and economic uncertainty.  People have more connections through social media than ever before, but are feeing disconnected and lonely.  Just as Moses provided comfort and encouragement during uncertain times, we can experience the same encouragement through God’s promises. Through a faith in Jesus Christ, we are able to experience God.

Do you experience God’s presence in your life?  The apostle Paul stated in Romans 10:9-10 that if you declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  This does not just mean that you have been rescued from Hell.  It means that you get to experience the Glory of God, which means being in His presence.   It is then that you experience the benefits of knowing God. You can be strong and overcome discouragement because you know that God is always with you.  You can endure hardships and the trials of life, because you have support from fellow believers.  The world can be headed for destruction, but you trust that God will rescue you with an eternal relationship with Him.  If you are entering a time of uncertainty, do not worry, God is with you!

Deuteronomy 31:1-8; Joshua 1:1-9