The God Who Saves is the God Who Stays

And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them forth out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. (Exodus 29:46)

Exodus 29:44-46; Genesis 28:15; Isaiah 43:2; Matthew 28:20

What Is God Saying?

The Tent of Meeting had significance to the people making their way through what must have seemed an endless journey. The environment was bleak and hostile. There were enemies before them, around them, and behind them who would have been very glad to see them erased from the face of the earth. The Promised Land had an annoying habit of getting farther and farther away. God knew they needed the encouragement of his presence. They needed to know that the one who had delivered them from the land of bondage would not only keep on delivering them but also wanted to stay with them always. It is the assurance we receive when Jesus says, "Lo! I am with you always to the close of the age."

How Does This Apply To Us?

Think of ways God has delivered us and ways he delivers us now. Then rejoice that the same one who saved us in the past is with us in the present. The events of Exodus may seem long ago and far away, but the reality of God's deliverance from the bondage of sin and our need for his constant nearness in our striving against the Adversary is real. God's presence delivers us from fear and gives us comfort and strength, always. The presence of the one who saves and also stays should encourage us to stay in touch, which we do in prayer.

Pray With Me

Lord, you are a God who can deliver us and desires to dwell with us. I will rest in this thought today. I may be straining beneath the load of this day. I may be wrestling with the problems of this day. I may be bracing myself for the challenges of this day. Yet I may also rest in the great assurance that "He who can deliver desires to remain."

Deliver me, O God, from the weight of past failures. Dwell with me in the present that I may be free of all that enslaves and defiles.

Deliver me, O God, from seeking to avenge my injuries to feed my pride. Dwell with me that I may accept in faith all that comes as part of your pattern for ultimate good.

Deliver me, O God, from indifference toward the needs of others. Dwell with me that I may have your spirit of love and care toward those who are hurt, hungry, and homeless.

Deliver me, O God, from encircling doubt. Dwell with me until the light of your truth and the warmth of your love dissolve all doubt.

Deliver me, O God, from the troubled seas of fear and worry. Dwell with me as Lord above all tempests. Your voice can check the fury of the wind and turn wild waves into calm. Then, being delivered, I shall help to deliver. Knowing your presence, I shall share the very love and peace of God.

Through Jesus Christ, my Lord. Amen.

Moving On In The Life Of Prayer

Let us not be delivered from something we dread without being committed to something (or someone) we love. Keep on praying. God will keep on saving, and God will keep on staying. He repeatedly assures us through prayer that he has saved us from the past to be of use in the present. The one who is with us in the present will continue to be with us through all our unknown tomorrows until the land promised becomes the land reached.