<p><span class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold">For Reading and Meditation:</span><br><span class="italic">     <span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+16:1-11">Psalm 16:1-11</span></span></p><p>We continue expanding the theme we touched on yesterday - the danger of allowing our faith to become more man-centered than God-centered. Whenever I have the opportunity to address Christian counselors I try to urge them to put the glory of God before their client's well-being. A good deal of "Christian counseling" today follows the client-centerd approach where the person is all-important. Thus more attention is paid to how the person has been hurt by others than how he or she may be hurting God by being unwilling to trust Him. This is a very sensitive issue, and I tell counselors in training that it must never be brought up until other issues have been explored and understood. But ultimately, however, this is the issue we must all face, whether we are in counseling or not. Ask yourself this question now: Do I allow myself to be more overwhelmed by the wrong people have done to me than the wrong I might have done (and may still be doing) to God by my unwillingness to trust Him? Putting the glory of God before our well-being does not go down well with some modern-day Christians brought up in the "Me" generation. It means that we have to break away from the idea that life revolves around our desires, our ambitions, our self-image, our personal comfort, our hurts and problems, but instead around the glory and the will of God. When we learn to apply the great text before us today to our lives we will find, as did the psalmist, that when we set the Lord always before us then no matter what happens we will be stirred, but not shaken.</p><p class="center-it italic bold mlr40 mtb20">Father, thank You for reminding me that I cannot avoid my soul being "stirred" by life's problems, but when I have set You ever before me, then I can avoid being "shaken." Drive this truth deep into my being this very day. In Jesus' Name. Amen.</p><div class="tl-lightgrey mt20 pt20 flexbox-row-wrap jc-around"><div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">AdditionalVerses</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="1sa+4:1-22">1 Samuel 4:1-22</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="ex+33:12-18">Exodus 33:12-18</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+29:1-2">Psalm 29:1-2</span></li></ul></div>

<div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">Questions to Consider</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>Is there a parallel between this account and today's Church?</li><li>What was Moses' request?</li></ul></div></div>

Let a little light into your soul every day with this wonderful devotional from English pastor Selwyn Hughes.

Every Day Light with Selwyn Hughes

"Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken." (v. 8) 

<p>Let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with Me; and he shall make peace with Me.<br><br>O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire. § According to your faith let it be to you. § Let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord.<br><br>They drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us.” … He vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” § I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. § My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.</p>

Daily Light on the Daily Path or Daily Light is a Christian daily devotional scripture reading published by Bagster & Sons about 1875. It has been reprinted continually since then. It consists of brief groupings of scripture passages which speak to prominent Biblical themes—two themes (morning and evening) for each day of the year. It appends no commentary, but simply allows scripture to speak for itself.

Morning Daily Light

 I will not let You go unless You bless me! 

<p>Where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them. § Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. § My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.<br><br>Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. §  “Am I a God near at hand,” says the Lord, “and not a God afar off? Can anyone hide himself in secret places, so I shall not see him?” says the Lord; “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the Lord.<br><br>Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built! § Thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” § You are the temple of the living God.</p>

 Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it. 

<p>Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you … The Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed. § Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. § In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.<br><br>He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” § Our sufficiency is from God.<br><br>Do not lead us into temptation. § O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps. § My times are in Your hand.</p>

 My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest. 

<p>Moses said to the Lord, “… I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You …” And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” § He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.<br><br>The humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way … Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses. § Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.<br><br>You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. § I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. § The path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.</p>

Evening Daily Light

 Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. 

<p>Peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come. § The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.<br><br>Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.” § Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.<br><br>The Helper … the Spirit of truth. § The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace. § The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.<br><br>“My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us?”</p>

 The Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all. 

<p><i>"And He said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest."</i>   <span class="scriptRef" ref="ex+33:14">Exodus 33:14</span></p><p> Precious promise! LORD, enable me to appropriate it as all my own.</p><p> We must go at certain times from our abode, for here we have no continuing city. It often happens that when we feel most at home in a place, we are suddenly called away from it. Here is the antidote for this ill.The LORD Himself will keep us company. His presence, which includes His favor, His fellowship, His care, and His power, shall be ever with us in every one of our marchings. This means far more than it says; for, in fact, it means all things. If we have God present with us, we have possession of heaven and earth. Go with me, LORD, and then command me where Thou wilt!</p><p> But we hope to find a place of rest. The text promises it. We are to have rest of God's own giving, making, and preserving. His presence will cause us to rest even when we are on the march, yea, even in the midst of battle. Rest! Thrice blessed word. Can it ever be enjoyed by mortals? Yes, there is the promise, and by faith we plead it. Rest comes from the Comforter, from the Prince of Peace, and from the glorious Father who rested on the seventh day from all His works. To be with God is to rest in the most emphatic sense.</p>

Another classic from the pen of C.H. Spurgeon that will challenge and inspire you on your daily path to Heaven.

Charles Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook

Rest in All Thy Goings

<p>SO the Lord promised Moses, and so He has promised us. Let us never venture any where, if we have reason to think the Lord will not favour us with His presence there. The Lord's presence produces holiness, imparts power, fires with zeal, brings into union, and often fills with comfort, joy, and peace. His presence is our glory, and it will yield us support under losses, crosses, and bereavements. Let us plead for the Lord's presence to go with us; let us expect it; let us not be satisfied with anything else. He went with Moses, and he persevered; with Joshua, and he conquered; with David, and he reached the throne; with Paul, and he was more than a conqueror. Nothing can be a substitute for the Lord's presence; and as it is so graciously promised, let us not attempt to find a substitute, but daily cry, "If Thy presence go not with me, carry me not up hence." Jesus has said, "If a man love Me, he will keep My words; and My Father will love him, and WE will come unto him, and make our abode with him."</p><p class="mlr40 italic">O Lord, be ever near us,<br> Fix in our hearts Thy home:<br> By Thine appearing cheer us,<br> And let Thy kingdom come:<br> Fulfil our expectation,<br> And give our souls to prove,<br> Thine uttermost salvation,<br> Thine everlasting love.</p>

Written by James Smith for his own flock around 1840, but such was the demand that by 1846 over thirty thousand copies where in circulation.

The Believer's Daily Remembrancer

"My presence shall go with thee." Exodus 33:14

<p><span class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold">For Reading and Meditation:</span><br><span class="italic">     <span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+16:1-11">Psalm 16:1-11</span></span></p><p>Having seen the importance of differentiating between goals and desires, we return to the thought that we can experience happiness only as a by-product. If we make obtaining happiness a goal, it eludes us like a will-o'-the-wisp, but if we give up the chase and hold it only as a desire, then it takes up residence in our heart. Let me repeat: there is nothing wrong in wanting to be happy; it is a natural and valid desire. But the paradoxical truth is that I will never be happy if I am primarily concerned with becoming happy. My overriding goal in every circumstance must be to respond biblically, to put the Lord first and seek to behave as He would want me to. The wonderful truth is that as we devote our energies to the task of becoming what Christ wants us to be - righteous - He responds by filling us with unutterable happiness and joy. I must, therefore, firmly and consciously by an act of the will, refuse to make obtaining happiness my goal, and instead adopt the goal of becoming more like the Lord. An obsessive preoccupation with "happiness" will obscure our understanding of the biblical route to eternal peace and joy. And what is that route? Our text for today tells us: "At Your right hand there are pleasures for evermore." It follows that if we are to experience those pleasures, then we must learn what it means to be at God's right hand. Paul tells us that Christ has been exalted to God's right hand  (<span class="scriptRef" ref="eph+1:20">Ephesians 1:20</span>). Can anything be clearer? The more we abide in Christ, the more we shall experience true happiness.</p><p class="center-it italic bold mlr40 mtb20">O God, forgive us that we have made the pursuit of happiness our goal, and the pursuit of righteousness merely a desire. Help us to get our values straightened out, and to set the goal of becoming more and more like You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.</p><div class="tl-lightgrey mt20 pt20 flexbox-row-wrap jc-around"><div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">AdditionalVerses</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+139:1-12">Psalm 139:1-12</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+140:13">Psalm 140:13</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="ex+33:14">Exodus 33:14</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="isa+43:2">Isaiah 43:2</span></li></ul></div>

<div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">Questions to Consider</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>What did the psalmist feel about God's presence?</li><li>How much time are you spending in His presence?</li></ul></div></div>

"' in Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand there are pleasures for evermore." (v. 11, Amplified Bible) 

<p><span class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold">For Reading and Meditation:</span><br><span class="italic">     <span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+31:19-24">Psalm 31:19-24</span></span></p><p>Once the psalmist reached the place of utter abandonment before God there came into his heart an instant reassurance: "Yet I am always with you"  (<span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+73:23">Psalm 73:23</span>). Some translations put it like this: "Nevertheless I am continually with you". Personally I prefer the word "nevertheless" as it conjures up to my mind a movement in the soul of the psalmist that was vital to his spiritual recovery. He did not stop at the point of self-examination and turn in upon himself - he looked into the face of his heavenly Father and realised that he was accepted and loved. If we end at the point of self-examination and don't remember the next words, "Nevertheless I am continually with you," then we will stay locked into the negative feelings of guilt and self-condemnation. This is why I said earlier that self-examination must not be undertaken except in the presence of God. Many have spent time examining themselves, and because they have judged themselves to be worthless and useless, they have gone out and committed suicide. Am I talking to someone like that today? If so, put your foot on this next rung of the ladder and realise that although you may be feeling useless and worthless nevertheless you are still in the presence of God. He still permits you to come into His presence, even though you have forgotten His promises and misunderstood His ways. God does not cast you away. Let the wonder of this break afresh upon you today. Whatever has gone wrong in your life, confess it to Him and look into His face and say: "Nevertheless I am continually with you." </p><p class="center-it italic bold mlr40 mtb20">Father, how can I sufficiently thank You for giving me the right word at the right time? You knew how much I needed this today. It is a lifeline to my spirit. As I hold on to it let it bind me closer to You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.</p><div class="tl-lightgrey mt20 pt20 flexbox-row-wrap jc-around"><div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">AdditionalVerses</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="ge+28:15">Genesis 28:15</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="isa+43:1-7">Isaiah 43:1-7</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="ex+33:14">Exodus 33:14</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="heb+13:5">Hebrews 13:5</span></li></ul></div>

<div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">Questions to Consider</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>What was God's promise to Israel?</li><li>What is the assurance we have?</li></ul></div></div>

"In my alarm I said, 'I am cut off from your sight!' Yet you heard my cry for mercy " (v. 22)

<p><span class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold">For Reading and Meditation:</span><br><span class="italic">     <span class="scriptRef" ref="lu+11:1-13">Luke 11:1-13</span></span></p><p>Samuel Shoemaker, the American Episcopalian preacher who was instrumental in forming Alcoholics Anonymous, pointed out that the whole principle of prayer depends on what kind of Being the Creator is. Listen to this statement made to a group of recovering alcoholics: "If He created the universe and gave everything a primeval push, and then retired beyond, where we cannot get in contact with Him, prayer is a vain effort. But if He be a personal God as Christians believe He is, then He will have a concern for the people He made and will want to involve Himself with them in all their affairs." We are not alone in this universe; a personal God stands behind all things, waiting, longing that we might enter into a relationship with Him. We said that one of the reasons why people desire an impersonal God is because that kind of God is easier to live with than one who is personal like themselves. It's rather nice to carry inside our hearts a subjective idea of a God of beauty, truth and goodness. That kind of God demands nothing of us. Better still a formless life-force surging through all of us, a vast power we can tap and use to our advantage. That kind of God is extremely easy to live with. But a God who approaches us at infinite speed - the Hunter, the King, the Lover, the Husband - that is quite another matter. But whether we believe it or not, that is the kind of God He is.</p><p class="center-it italic bold mlr40 mtb20">Gracious and loving God, how thankful I am that You are not just a supernatural energy or a life-force, but a personal Being whom I can address as "Father." Your personality engages with my personality and we are one. In that my joy knows no bounds. Amen.</p><div class="tl-lightgrey mt20 pt20 flexbox-row-wrap jc-around"><div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">AdditionalVerses</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="ge+3:1-8">Genesis 3:1-8</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="ex+33:14-17">Exodus 33:14-17</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="isa+43:2">Isaiah 43:2</span></li></ul></div>

<div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">Questions to Consider</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>How did God present Himself as a personal Being?</li><li>What did He promise Moses?</li></ul></div></div>

"When you pray, say: 'Father ' " (v. 2)

<p><span class="bible-text "> <sup class="verse-num ">14 </sup>The Lord replied, “My Presence   will go with you, and I will give you rest.”   </span></p>

The Lord replied, “My Presence<cr>1</cr>  will go with you, and I will give you rest.”<cr>2</cr> 

Exodus 33:14

 14 The Lord replied, “My Presence   will go with you, and I will give you rest.”  

From Wikipedia: 

The New International Version (NIV) is an English translation of the Bible first published in 1978 by Biblica (formerly the International Bible Society). The NIV was published to meet the need for a modern translation done by Bible scholars using the earliest, highest quality manuscripts available. Of equal importance was that the Bible be expressed in broadly understood modern English.

The NIV is published by Zondervan in the United States and Hodder & Stoughton in the UK. The NIV was updated in 1984 and 2011 and has become one of the most popular and best-selling modern translations.

OT: Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia; additional sources;
NT: UBS Greek New Testament; Novum Testamentum Graece; additional sources;

New International Version

 The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

<p><span class="bible-text ">The Lord replied, “My Presence   will go with you, and I will give you rest.”   </span></p>

 The Lord replied, “My Presence   will go with you, and I will give you rest.”  

Bible Verse of the Day

December 17, 2025

Exodus 33:14 NIV

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