Chapter 1: Ministering in the Lord’s Presence

Bible Reading: Matthew 28:18-20

Introduction

God’s main purpose in redeeming us is that we may serve Him. However, in terms of experiences of Christians, some have been groping around without finding the right way of ministry, to the extent that their ministry do not produce results. Because of this, some resorted to using men’s ways in place of God’s rules. Some meddle with their own hands instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to work. Some, during the course of serving, encountered difficulties and lost their testimony, so much so that they become disheartened and stopped serving the Lord.

Hence in this year’s ministry training, the Lord has given me a burden to speak about “The Way of Ministry.” The background of our message is derived from the first five books of the New Testament Bible. These are the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and the Acts of the Apostles. This was the commission given by the Lord Jesus to the disciples just before He ascended to heaven, in which He specifically pointed out the five ways of ministry. May the Lord bless His own word, so that all of us here may not only be able to have a feel of the way of ministry, moreover, we may also serve Him according to the ways He instructed us, so that our ministry may be one after God’s own heart; at the same time, we may usher in the fruits and blessings of the Lord’s work.

Let us first take a look at the Gospel of Matthew. Just after the Lord Jesus had resurrected but before He ascended on high, He instructed His disciples saying, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations." (Matt. 28:18-19)

Here the Lord entrusted His disciples with a divine commission. But how are they able to accomplish such a great commission? It says next, "Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matt. 28:19-20) This means that I (the Lord) have taken hold of the great authority to rule the universe. I am with you, and all will be well. All you need is just to go and carry out the commission of making disciples of all nations.

In other words, the Lord showed the disciples the way of ministry --- which is serving in the Lord’s presence. I, the Lord, will be your rear guard to the ends of the world. This clearly shows that the presence of the Lord is what the disciples counted on. Why, then, do we need to serve in the Lord’s presence?

1.  The Lord’s Presence is God’s Eternal Thought Towards Man

   This thing about “The Lord’s Presence” emanates from God’s eternal thought. When we carefully read the Bible beginning from the first book of Genesis to the last book of  Revelation, we discover that God has an unchanging eternal thought which began from the creation, and passes on with time until it reaches future eternity. In it is embodied a consistent thought, and that is, the Lord wants to be with man.

   1. Revelation from the Creation

      After the Lord God had created the universe in six days, He created man and woman in His own image. He then prepared a garden in the east of Eden, and there He placed the man and woman He created. The “Garden of Eden” actually means paradise. The reason it is called a paradise was because the Lord was with man. There is a hymn that goes, “Where Christ is, ‘tis heaven there. And where He is not, it is hell.” No wonder the Garden of Eden was such a nice place --- because the Lord was with Adam and Eve.

      From God’s creation, we could see that God has thousands upon thousands of angels in heaven singing praises to Him, nonetheless He is not satisfied, because He desires to be with man.

   2. Revelation from the Old Testament

      Later on, our forefathers cannot stand the temptation of the serpent and went against God’s command and ate of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In so doing, they failed utterly. Out of fear of seeing the Lord, they hid themselves among the trees in the garden. Nevertheless, the Lord Himself went to look for them. He called on Adam, saying, “Where are you?” This clearly shows that God wanted to restore them. Although our forefathers had fallen away and had failed miserably, nevertheless God’s thought of being with man remains unchanged.

      Because of this, God slaughtered a lamb to redeem the sins of Adam and Eve. He made garments out of the lamb’s skin as His way of restoring His presence with man.

      During the time of Abel, he offered to the Lord the firstborn of his flock together with its fats. He did this in order to restore his fellowship with God. This signifies that whenever we accept the cleansing from the blood of Jesus Christ, our sins will be forgiven, and then we can restore God’s presence with us. Following that, Enoch walked with God three hundred years. (Gen. 5:24) Then Noah too walked with God. (Gen 6:9) Once again, this shows us that God’s desire was to be with man.

      When we come to the period of our forefathers -- Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph... although each of them had his own respective experiences, yet there is one thing common to all; that is, God wants to be with man. This is God’s eternal and never-changing thought. Later on, God expanded His scope by calling on the tribes of Israel to be His chosen people. He wanted to be with His people. It is clear that God not only wanted to be with man, He also wanted to be with an entire nation.

      The Israelites, after being led by the Lord out of Egypt, stayed in the wilderness for forty years. There they pitched tents and built the Tent of Meeting. The Tent of Meeting was the place where they served God. It was also the place where God met with them. Whenever Moses went into the Tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spoke with him. (Ex. 33:9-11)

      Finally, they arrived at the Land of Canaan. When Solomon became king, and had finished building the temple, he brought in all the sacred furnishings and placed them in the treasuries. He had the ark of the Lord’s covenant carried to its place in the inner sanctuary. There they sacrificed sheep and cattle. The priests and Levites also consecrated themselves. It was then that "the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God." (2 Chron. 5:14) It was recorded in the opening verse of chapter 7 that "When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple." (2 Chron. 7:1) Here it demonstrates clearly that God’s unchanging thought was to be with man.

   3. Revelation from the New Testament

      When we get to the New Testament, just before Jesus was born, "An angel of the Lord said to Joseph, ‘Mary will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ which means, God is with us." (Matt 1:21-23)

      Seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus, the prophet Isaiah had already prophesied that Jesus will be born, and His name will be called Immanuel, which means that God wants to be with man. This is the revelation found at the beginning of the New Testament.

      Furthermore, through His death on the cross, Jesus brought the presence of God to all men (church). Hence Ephesians 2:16 tells us, "And in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility." This means that God not only dwells in Jesus, He also dwells in the church. The church is the place where the Gentiles and Jews come together. The Gentiles and the Jews no longer have a barrier between them, but are built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit. (Eph. 2:22)

      From the New Testament book of Revelation, we see that God not only dwells in Jesus of Nazareth, at the same time through the redemption Jesus had accomplished, God also dwells in the church. That is why He promised us saying, “For where two or three come together in My Name, there am I with them.” (Matt. 18:20) Regardless of when and where, as long as we gather together in the Lord’s Name, the Lord will be in our midst. This is the eternal and never-changing thought of God.

   4. Revelation from Eternity

      The Lord Jesus once promised the disciples saying, “I shall be with you even to the end of the world.” What is the “end of the world” like?

      Revelation 21 records that when the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, comes down out of heaven, a voice says, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them.” (Rev. 21:3) This tells us that in eternity, the Lord will be with us forever. In short, whether it is through the revelation from God’s creation, or revelation from the Old Testament, or revelation from the New Testament, or even  revelation from eternity, it is evident that God’s eternal thought is to be with men. Hallelujah! The hymn goes, “I will forever sing, because the Lord’s presence is heaven. Hallelujah! I will joyfully sing for I will be with Him forever in heaven.”

2. In The Lord’s Presence, We Can Have the Factors Essential in Ministry

   Why is it that we need to have the Lord’s presence when serving Him? Because not only is the thought that “the Lord is with men” God’s eternal thought; moreover, in the Lord’s presence, we can have the factors that are essential in ministry. Hence, the presence of the Lord is an indispensible factor when we are to serve Him. Without the Lord’s presence, our ministry cannot advance, cannot be sustained, and cannot produce results. Moreover, it can never be complete.

   With regard to the factors that are essential in ministry, we shall mention at least seven items, as follows:

   1. Peace and Joy

      Where does the root of peace and joy lie? Peace and joy are brought about by the presence of the Lord. People all over the world today look for peace, but how do they obtain real peace? Thank the Lord! The Gospel of John 20 records that after the Lord Jesus was crucified, the disciples were filled with fear and anxiety, and they locked all the doors.

      They did not know that Jesus had risen. The Lord Jesus put on a resurrected body and appeared to the disciples. The first words that He spoke were, “Peace be with you.” Then He showed them His hands and His side. Both His hands and side bore the wounds of crucifixion. They were the marks of the shedding of the blood, so that sins may be forgiven. This is where peace originates. Oh! When the Lord is with us, there is peace. When the Lord is gone, there will be no peace --- because peace always goes with the Lord Jesus. (John 20:19-23)

      Joy is no exception. When Jesus appeared to the disciples, the Bible tells us, “The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.” (John 20:20) Oh! Formerly their faces were filled with grief, but the instant they saw the Lord, they were aglow with laughter, and they had unspeakable joy. Speaking from experience, every time we draw near to the Lord and feel His presence, we immediately experience peace and joy. These are two indispensable factors we should never miss when serving the Lord.

      How could a person serve the Lord when he harbours resentment in his heart, or when his spirit is undulating and filled with grievances? In order to serve the Lord well, our hearts must be at peace, because strength comes from being at peace. In Isaiah 30:15 we read, “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.” Whenever your heart is at peace, strength immediately comes. Conversely, if your spirit is in a turbulent state, and you go out to visit believers or preach the gospel, then you will not be able to obtain any results.

      Whenever there is a violent typhoon, we all know that its wind is powerful enough to overturn a ship in the vast ocean; sometimes even massive bridges are ripped apart by the force of the wind. However, the amazing thing is that in the center of the storm (also known as the “eye of the storm”) is an area of tranquillity. This reality demonstrates that, although outwardly there is force, yet inwardly, there is peace. Therefore when serving the Lord, our hearts must be at peace. Praise the Lord! The Lord’s presence brings peace.

      Not only that, we must have joy when serving because without joy, our ministry could easily fail. Quite a number of people do not have joy in their ministries. On the contrary, their cries of discontentment can be heard everywhere --- just like the case of Martha. The Bible says that Martha was “worried and upset with many things.” (Like 10:41) It was apparent that she had lost her joy. A ministry without joy will naturally produce grumblings. That was why Martha grumbled against the Lord saying, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister had left me to do the work by myself?” Ah! Because there was no joy in Martha’s ministry, she was worried and upset with many things.

      Nehemiah 8:10 tells us, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” This means that whenever the joy of the Lord fills us, we will have strength to serve.

      The background to Nehemiah’s profession of these words occured during the time he was rebuilding the city wall. Because there was so much rubble and labourers were so few, moreover, there were enemies who came to oppose and stir up trouble against them, and even incited others to attack them, thereby forcing them to have half of their men do the work while the other half be equipped with spears. They had to do their work with one hand and hold a weapon in the other. O! What a strenuous and toilsome task. How were they able to accomplish such a great and difficult task? Only by trusting in the Lord from whom they had obtained joy to be their strength. Because the joy of the Lord generated strength that enabled them to accomplish such a daunting task.

      Brothers and sisters, anyone who rejoices (willingness of heart) will have a productive ministry. Anyone who is under compulsion, my advice would be for you to refrain from serving. Do you wish to serve? Then first make sure that there is the Lord’s presence. If the Lord is with you, then there will be peace and joy. Conversely, if peace and joy are absent, it can only mean that the Lord’s presence has been lost. It will do you well not to touch on ministry for the meantime. However, if your spirit is filled with peace and joy, even if the church did not assign you any ministry, you will voluntarily ask to minister.

   2. Guidance for the Way Ahead

      Deuteronomy 31:8 says, “The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you.” This means that the Lord’s presence guides us in the way that is before us. When the Israelites wandered in the wilderness forty years, the Lord was with them guiding the way before them. Therefore when we serve the Lord, we are not without direction, because the Lord Himself guides us. The Lord’s presence instructs us how we should proceed onward. If the Lord is not with us, then we cannot find our way around --- just like a blind leading a blind. The mistake is left uncorrected and we not only fail to measure up to the Lord, we have also done a disservice to brothers and sisters; we even caused ourselves setbacks.

      Symbolically Exodus 13:21 tells us, “By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.” Here it says the Lord used the pillars of cloud and fire to guide them. Outwardly, it looked like the pillars of cloud and fire were guiding them, but inwardly, it was really the Lord. As long as the Lord is present, guidance will follow. “Pillar of cloud” signifies the Holy Spirit. During the day, when the Lord is with us, He guides us through the voice of the Holy Spirit. “Pillar of Fire” signifies the Bible. At night when the Lord is with us, He guides us through enlightenment from the Bible.

      In the present-day Christian ministry, how can one experience the guidance that is derived from the Lord’s presence? One aspect has to do with the guidance of the “pillar of cloud”, which is obedience to the voice of the Holy Spirit. The other has to do with the guidance of the “pillar of fire”, which is obedience to the enlightenment from God’s word. The unfolding of God’s word sheds light in order to guide us on how to minister.

3. Shall Not Be in Want

   Deuteronomy 2:7 records, “These forty years the Lord your God has been with you and you have not lacked anything.” For us Christians who live in this world, serving the Lord is our vocation. Suppose our living is beset with problems, how could we serve the Lord? What is amazing is that when the Lord’s presence is with us, we shall not be in lack --- because the Lord will provide. The Lord will take charge. The Lord will arrange for you and me to take on an appropriate job and income in order that we may serve Him without obstruction.

   If you encounter needs in your daily living, then you must come before the Lord and seek Him. Because the Lord is our Shepherd, He will tend to us so that we shall not be in want. If you are in want, it goes to show that the Lord is not with you, and the Lord is no longer your shepherd. You have strayed and walked your own way. Just like when a sheep wanders away from its shepherd, it will face starvation. But as long as the shepherd is around, he will surely lead the sheep to green pastures and beside still waters; he will give the sheep its fill and delight -- not just materially, but spiritually as well.

   Is this not so? If the Lord’s presence is with you, wherever you go, the people you visit will receive provision, the people you preach the gospel to will be saved. On the contrary, if the Lord’s presence is not with you, even if you sweat all day, still you cannot figure out why you fail to provide life for others to be blessed. From this, we can see that serving the Lord does not depend on our efforts or hard work, but the Lord’s presence.

4. Shall Fear No Harm

   In the matter of serving the Lord, it is inevitable that we will encounter problems. Sometimes we may encounter material losses; at other times we may face intimidations. Because of these, some people may feel reluctant to minister. If I serve this way, I fear that I might offend someone. If I serve that way, I might face oppositions. Even if I serve well, I would still be the object of slander and envy. However, if I do not serve well, I will end up being criticized and judged. I would rather not serve at all. Encountering harm in the ministry is rather common. But as long as the Lord’s presence is with you, all you need to do is be faithful to Him; men’s charges, judgments and attacks would all amount to nothing. David, in his youth, tended sheep in the wilderness. Because the Lord was with him, he was able to kill lions and bears. Later during the reign of King Saul, because the Lord was with him, he was able to kill Goliath -- the fierce enemy whom the entire army of Israel feared -- with just one little stone.

   Daniel’s three friends were no exception. They served God faithfully and were not afraid of harm. They would rather be bound and thrown into the furnace than to fall down and worship the image of gold. Indeed the Lord was with them, so that they came out of the blazing furnace with not a hair of their heads singed and their robes unscorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.

   This is also true with Daniel. He did not succumb to the decree of King Darius but remained in his home. With his face toward Jerusalem, he got down on his knees three times a day and prayed to God just as he had done before. As a result, although Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den, nonetheless God was with him. God shut the mouths of the lions so that they did not harm him. All these are proofs and examples taken from the Bible.

   Praise the Lord. Today in serving the Lord, we can likewise experience being unafraid of evil. May the Lord cover us with His blood. Once in Manila while on my way back to the church, I ran into some thieves. These thieves pointed a sharp knife at my chest and my back, after that, they snatched away my watch. But because the Lord was with me, even in the face of danger, I was kept safe and was not hurt.

   Another time I was at a crossing -- it was already dusk, and there was a slight drizzle. All of a sudden, a thief came up behind me, and with a steel bar in his hand he curbed me in the neck. Praise the Lord for being with me. He enabled me to throw a backhand and fling myself around, and I managed to escape unhurt.

   What was more evident was this incident that happened around five to six years ago. I went to a newly reclaimed area that was 200 kilometres away from Manila. There I visited a family of believers. Upon walking a few steps into the courtyard, an unchained police dog suddenly leaped from behind and put its front paws on my shoulders. Still at my back, the dog stuck out its tongue and licked the side of my face. O! If it were not for the Lord’s presence, I would have been bitten on the neck. It was so horrible I could hardly imagine. Praise the Lord! He was with me during that critical moment. When the owner saw what had happened, he rushed over and led the dog away. After going through these three dangerous incidents without encountering any harm, I was able to experience that even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, yet I feared no evil, because the Lord was with me. Hallelujah! Glory be to God!

5. Be Strong and Courageous

   Joshua 1:5-9 records that after the death of Moses, God turned over to Joshua the important responsibility as successor to the ministry. The Lord said to Joshua, “......As I was with Moses, so I will be with you…..Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous..… Be strong and courageous… for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

   “The seven tribes of Canaan” symbolizes the dominion of the enemy, the devil. How did Joshua subdue them? Praise the Lord. Because the Lord’s presence made him strong and courageous, Joshua was able to conquer city after city, killing all the southern kings and defeating all the northern kings as well. All in all, he killed thirty-one kings in Canaan and overwhelmingly defeated the enemies. O, where the Lord’s presence is, there is strength --- so that we may serve Him courageously.

   Today, quite a number of Christians do not first fine-tune their relationship with the Lord’s presence before they do visitation or preach the gospel. Hence, upon noticing a negative facial expression from the party they visit, they quickly retreat and dare not say anything more. They are like weapons made of reeds, rendered useless. If only we care to fine-tune ourselves with respect to the Lord’s presence before we do anything else, then every time we go out and sincerely tell our friend, “Friend, do you know who Jesus is? He is the only Person mankind ever needs..…” you will be strong and courageous in your ministry besides being very fruitful.

6. Overcome the Enemy the Devil

   Why is it that we need the presence of the Lord in our ministry? Because in serving the Lord, we often encounter the enemy, the devil, who hides behind man. Therefore to overcome the enemy, the devil, we need the Lord’s presence with us.

   In Joshua 14, we read that Caleb told Joshua, “Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the Lord will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the Lord said.” We notice that Caleb did not say, “I shall be able to drive them out”, but rather, “if so be the Lord will be with me, I will drive them out.” (Joshua 14:12, KJV)  Indeed Caleb routed all the enemies. Consequently, Joshua gave the land of Hebron to him as inheritance.

   Conversely, if the Lord had not been with him, he will certainly be overcome by the enemy. But then, look at this: On the day the assembly of the Israel heard about the bad report from the ten spies, they grumbled to Moses, so that the Lord said, “Every one of you twenty years old or more who has grumbled against me. Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home… your bodies will fall in this desert.”

   When Moses reported what the Lord had said to the assembly of Israel, they mourned bitterly. Early the next morning they went up toward the high hill country. “We have sinned,” they said. “We will go up to the place the Lord promised.” But Moses said, “Do not go up, because the Lord is not with you. You will be defeated by your enemies.” (Numbers 14:41)

   Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up toward the high hill country, and the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and attacked them and beat them all down. It is thus clear that if the Lord is not with us, we will suffer defeat. Based on our experiences, if we do not have the Lord’s presence, our visitation will result in failure. Our preaching of the gospel will be fruitless, and all our ministries will simply be done in vain. Therefore we need to recognize the principle of ministry as pointed out in the Gospel of Matthew, that if we serve in the presence of the Lord, then we will be able to overcome the enemy, the devil.

7. Dispel Sorrow and Death

   Revelation 21:3-4 records, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away’.”

   Here it says that if the Lord is with us, then all griefs, sorrows, and weaknesses will be dispelled. In our ministries, we often encounter difficulties --- they may possibly be our husbands, our work, parents, or children….. In short, these are the things that are likely to give you troubles, making you unable to overcome them.... they may give you unutterable pain, grief, and sadness. At this moment, if the Lord is with us, then all the sorrows and pain will vanish like mist and smoke.

8. Learning to Serve in the Lord’s Presence

   We have already seen that the Lord’s presence is God’s eternal thought towards men. We also know that if we serve the Lord in His presence, we will be able to make use of the factors that are necessary in the ministry in order to accomplish His mission. In closing, we would like to mention how we can learn to serve the Lord in His presence.

   1. Living in Fellowship with the Lord

      In John 15:5 the Lord said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him....” The words “remains in me” mean to abide in the Lord; they also mean to live in fellowship with the Lord. In terms of experience, it is the life of prayer. Prayer is the path to abiding in the presence of the Lord. Therefore each time we minister, we need to first come and kneel down before the Lord, ask Him to cleanse us with His blood, and allow Him to remain in us… As we keep praying for ten, twenty, or thirty minutes, any moment we feel that the presence of the Lord is with us, then it is time that we go out and serve Him.

      David Livingstone was a servant greatly used by the Lord in the 19^th century. He was sent by the Lord to the savages in Africa to do evangelistic pioneering work. Having worked there for 33 years, he led great multitudes of natives to believe in Jesus; he also established many churches. His most prominent feature in serving was living a life of prayer before the Lord. The last moments of his life were spent in prayer just before he was taken up to be with the Lord --- leaving behind a glorious example. While preaching in Africa before his death, his fame had reached England. The English people admired him so much they sent representatives from England to Africa in order to find out how he actually served the Lord. After staying with Livingston in Africa for a while, they went back to England and reported that the special characteristic of Livingston was that he had a “line” on his head that connects him to heaven. This means that he was one who lived in constant fellowship with the Lord.

   2. Trusting and Obeying the Lord

      Matthew 28 records that before the Lord Jesus ascended to heaven, He promised the disciples that He will be with them on two conditions: First is trust, second is obedience. The Lord instructed the disciples to “baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Baptism indicates belief, because when a person believes on the Lord, he will be baptized. Next He said, “...and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (v. 20) “Obeying (the Lord’s) commands” indicates obedience.

      From here we see that “trusting and obeying” is the way to maintain the Lord’s presence. I trust the Lord with all my heart because He has absolute lordship. If we trust and obey the Lord this way, then He will be with us to the ends of the world. Therefore the Lord’s presence can only be enjoyed by those who trust and obey.

      Moses was commended by God as a servant who was faithful in all God’s house. (Hebrews 3:5) This is because he was one who served in the Lord’s presence. When the Lord called Moses to go up the mountain forty days to receive the Ten Commandments, it was the Lord Himself who inscribed the Ten Commandments on two tablets of stones and gave them to Moses.

      Little did Moses know that when he came down the mountain, the people would be running wild and be worshipping a golden calf. When he saw them singing and dancing, he burned with anger and threw the two tablets from his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. The Lord was even more angered as He said to Moses, “Now go, lead these people to the place I spoke of, and my messenger will go before you.” This means that the Lord was going to send a messenger -- no longer Himself -- to lead them. Moses knew that without the Lord’s presence, then I, Moses will no longer be of use. So he negotiated with the Lord, “If your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” (Exodus 33:15) O! Moses knew that the Lord must personally be with them for them to minister.

      Before the exodus from Egypt, the Lord called Moses to come before Pharaoh to negotiate for the release of the entire Israelite community out of Egypt. Pharaoh refused. Again the Lord called Moses to go, and again he obeyed the Lord’s command and went. But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and like before, he refused to let them go. The Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out the staff in your hand.” And he stretched out his staff. Because of Moses’ trust and obedience, he performed ten great miracles that struck down Egypt. Finally he was able to subdue the hard-headed Pharaoh.

      “Staff” is the symbol of authority. By faith Moses stretched out his staff, and the calamities immediately descended upon the land of Egypt. On the other hand, it also demonstrates his obedience. He obeyed the Lord’s command by stretching out his staff. The reason he negotiated with Pharaoh in Egypt was because he trusted the Lord to be his rear guard. Later when he led the people to walk through the wilderness for forty years, every time they encountered problems, he would fall facedown before the Lord --- this speaks of his total obedience to God. Through constant trust and obedience, Moses was able to maintain the presence of the Lord. He lived in fellowship with the Lord, and ministered to an extent that his face became radiant. (Exodus 34:29) Still he continued to trust and obey. No wonder he was referred to as one who is faithful as a servant in all God’s house.

      May we value and cherish the Lord’s presence, and together let us learn to serve the Lord in His presence!

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