23/05/2026
DEAR BELOVED READER.....
OUR SERMON FOR TODAY 🤍
PREACHER: Thomas Misheck Mapulanga Jr.
TRANSLATOR: Elijah Mwanza
TITLE: NOT WITHOUT YOU
Memory Text: Exodus 33:1–3 & 15
The sermon (NOT WITHOUT YOU) reveals one of the deepest truths in the Christian journeey: that the presence of God is greater than every blessing, achievement, or promise we could ever receive. In Exodus 33, Moses demonstrates a rare level of spiritual maturity by understanding that life without God’s presence is empty, no matter how attractive the destination may seem. God had promised the children of Israel a land flowing with milk and honey, a land of abundance and rest, yet Moses understood that the true treasure was not the land itself, but the God who would walk with them. This is why he boldly declared in verse 15, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” Moses teaches us that a future without God is not worth pursuing.
One of the most remarkable lessons from this story is how God called Moses to climb Mount Sinai at the age of eighty. At an age where many people would be thinking about weakness, rest, and safety, Moses was climbing a mountain to encounter God. God did not consider his age, physical limitations, or the dangers surrounding the mountain. This teaches us that divine calling is never limited by human excuses. Moses understood something powerful: it was better to die on top of the mountain where God was than to remain safely below without Him. Many people today allow fear, age, criticism, or personal limitations to stop them from answering God’s call, but Moses teaches us that when God calls a person, obedience must be greater than comfort.
When Moses finally reached the mountain, he did not immediately encounter God. The Bible shows that he waited an additional six days before God spoke to him from the cloud. Imagine the darkness, silence, uncertainty, and coldness of that mountain, yet Moses remained there patiently. This demonstrates that patience is one of the greatest weapons for spiritual growth and success. In a generation that wants instant answers and immediate results, Moses teaches us the value of waiting upon God. Many people abandon prayer too quickly, give up on faith too early, or leave the place of seeking before their encounter comes. Moses understood that nothing else mattered until he had experienced God personally. An encounter with God was more important than food, comfort, or time itself.
While Moses waited faithfully on the mountain, the children of Israel were behaving very differently below. Around the thirty-ninth day, they became impatient and approached Aaron demanding that he create gods to lead them to the Promised Land. This moment exposed the condition of their hearts. They had become more interested in reaching the blessing than remaining connected to the Blesser. Even after witnessing the Red Sea open, manna fall from heaven, and Pharaoh defeated, they quickly forgot the God who had delivered them. Their focus shifted from worshipping God to finding alternatives that could still give them what they desired. This is still happening today. Many people seek miracles, wealth, marriage, influence, and success, but once they receive these things, they slowly drift away from God. Society has taught many people that it is acceptable to leave God behind as long as life is progressing well. Like Israel, people often create modern golden calves through money, fame, relationships, education, or personal achievements, trusting these things more than they trust God.
The painful truth revealed in Exodus 33 is that God was willing to fulfill His promise to Israel while withdrawing His presence from among them. He promised to send an angel before them for protection and victory, but He Himself would not go with them because of their rebellion. Many people would gladly accept such an arrangement today. They would choose success, wealth, comfort, and protection even if God’s presence was absent. But Moses recognized that blessings without God are meaningless. He understood that prosperity without God becomes dangerous, comfort without God becomes empty, and success without God eventually turns into vanity. This is why he pleaded with God, refusing to move forward without Him. Moses knew that the greatest blessing was not the Promised Land but the presence of God walking among His people.
This lesson remains important for believers today. It is better to have little with God than to possess much without Him. A small life filled with God’s presence is greater than great riches filled with emptiness and confusion. Solomon, who possessed unimaginable wisdom, wealth, and power, eventually concluded that all earthly things are vanity apart from God. Material possessions, achievements, and pleasures can never satisfy the soul the way God’s presence can. Without Him, success becomes pride, wealth becomes bo***ge, and pleasure becomes destruction. The greatest need of humanity is not more possessions but more of God.
Therefore, the cry of every believer should be the same as Moses’: “Lord, not without You.” Not without Your presence, not without Your guidance, not without Your Spirit, and not without Your hand upon my life. May we never become so consumed with blessings that we forget the Blesser. May we never pursue destinations while abandoning the God who gives meaning to the journey. And may we understand that at the end of life, the greatest possession a person can have is not wealth, status, or achievement, but the presence of God.
HAPPY SABBATH 🤍
