Author: Jojo Agot

Your time on earth is not the complete story of your life. You must wait until heaven for the rest of the chapters. It takes faith to live on earth as a foreigner. 

In a sense, we’ve been lulled into believing there are two tiers to discipleship – there’s the basic plan and then there’s a premium package for the more pious. We think there are only a few among us — monks, missionaries, and ministers – who are called to be more saintly while the rest of us must settle into an average discipleship.

Purpose Driven Connection

“If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here… What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?” (Exodus 33: 15- 16)

This is one of the most heart-breaking scenarios in the Old Testament. God was fed up with His people and He wanted them to just go and claim the land He promised to Abraham. But they were to go alone by themselves with just an angel to lead the way.

Just an angel.

At least they would get the promise. They would look successful. They would be fine. In the eyes of the Canaanites and the whole Middle Eastern world, they would look like a promising fledgling nation. But the price would be that they would go without God’s presence.

Honestly speaking, that was an enticing offer for the Israelites who dreaded the presence of God whenever He came down to talk to Moses. For some reasons, these people were not exactly excited about God being with them. Just a chapter later, they would have Moses cover his face because they could not bear to look at the glory of God in it.

But Moses knew the difference between having the presence of God or an angel’s. He knew that the picture of success wouldn’t really be that good if God is taken out of the picture. He was quick to point out that the only distinguishing mark between God’s chosen people and the rest of the world is ONLY HIS presence. Take that away and Israel will be reduced to just one of the many struggling tribes in ancient Middle East.

As I stared at my computer today looking at the verse I quoted above, I was hit with a sudden realization that made perfect sense to me however I look it. We can choose to be successful on our own. With hard work and cleverness, we can make it big out there. We can map out success, build a name, create an empire, be somebody or do anything humanly possible under the sun. But at the very heart of that is the choice whether we will take that next step with or without God’s presence.

Moses was given that choice. Joshua had the same choice. You and I have that choice. Moses refused to move his feet unless God led the way. Joshua chose to serve God with his household. You and I… Now that’s the million dollar question.

Today is the last day of prayer and fasting at Victory Christian Fellowship. I could almost hear the excitement in church tonight as we gather together to pray for the last prayer item for the week: personal breakthroughs. We prayed for the youth and the campuses on Day 1, for families on Day 2, World Missions on Day 4, the Philippines on Day 5, the church on Day 6, and tonight, we will be praying for ourselves. What a great way to conclude our week-long concerted prayer.

There’s this one bit of cloud hanging above my head though: Did I pray enough? For those of you who felt that you DID pray enough, you don’t need to continue reading. But if you were one of those who had to squeeze in your prayer time to your busy schedule, I have word for you:

IT’S OKAY.

Because even if you didn’t devote your full seven days to extended, gut-wrenching, agonizing prayer, your being consciously aware of the presence of God for seven straight days was great enough. How many times did you say no to temptation and sin this week just because you were acutely aware that you were supposed to be in prayer mode? How many times did you hold yourself in check because you just can’t get into anything wrong at the moment?

For what it’s worth, it’s still victory. And that’s worth celebrating about. All you need to do is try to keep that awareness of God everyday as you go through your usual business. If you were able to do it in the past seven days, maybe you can do it for the rest of the year.

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai after his forty days of prayer and fasting where he received the ten commandments, his face was radiant. He didn’t know it but when Aaron and the rest of the Israelites saw him, they stayed back. They were afraid of him. He was literally oozing with spiritual power that he had to cover his face. (Exodus 34: 29- 35)

As we come out from our seven-day prayer and fasting today, let us not cover our faces. Not anymore. The world needs to see that light, that radiance that could only come from God. Let them see that the light of your life does not come from your being smart or cool but it comes as a direct result of your exposure to the glory of God.

Don’t be afraid if people think you are “deep” or spiritual or different. God’s glory is not something to be ashamed of. People may say it with a slight jeer in their voice but they only take notice because the glory of God stands out from all the blackness of the world. People need that light, show it to them. Don’t hide it under your usual pretensions. Don’t try to cover it with your usual sarcasm and biting remarks. Let it out. Let it shine bright.