What's the Real Prize?

Gimli and Virginia have mastered the art of manipulation. They are true professionals. When they want something, they know just how to tug on our heart strings to better their chances of getting what they want. This comes out the most when they want some people food. When we are eating on the couch, they will come up right next to us, lay their little heads on our laps and look up at us with these big, sweet puppy dog eyes and wait. It's so hard to resist because they are just so sweet! But the second we finish eating and put our plates down, they jump up and leave. That's how I know they don't really want to cuddle with me- they want me to give them some food.

On Sunday, our pastor preached on a passage in Exodus 33 about the Israelites and Moses when they were in the wilderness. God had made a promise to the Israelites that He would give them the land of Canaan, but He was frustrated with them for their sinful, ungrateful and stubborn hearts and basically tells them, "I'll give you the land as I promised, but my presence won't go there with you." God tells them, "I'll give you your dream, but you won't have Me." Our pastor asked us, "What if God gave you a winning lottery ticket and said, 'Take it, but you won't have My presence with you.' Would you take it?" The truth is that often I would rather have God give me what I want than to be in His presence and have what He wants for me. All too often, I beg at God's feet like Gimli & Virginia beg at ours- with a primary desire for the gift, not the Giver. But unlike me, God doesn't fall for the act. He knows exactly what is going on in our hearts even more so than we do. My pastor has said several times at church that "Our hearts are idol factories." Our hearts are bent towards worshiping an earthly thing rather than the Creator of all things because of our sin nature.  I want to want God more than anything, but far too often, I'm more interested in what He can do for me than His presence.

Moses told God, "Let us wander in the wilderness and die here if your presence won't go with us to the promised land." He knew the true prize was God's presence, not the land. My prayer is that as I spend time with God daily, that He would show me more of His goodness, character, glory and love for me, and that my heart would be completely transformed by His presence.