Nested in His Presence

“The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.”
Exodus 33:11 (NIV)

Arise and shine, dear one! God is with you!

“Mom, I want to sit on your lap.”

My son, barely fitting on my lap these days, climbed up to nestle into my arms as he stretched, yawned, and slowly began to wake up. He’s still at an age where he wants the nearness of his mom when he rises a bit too early in the morning. There’s something about just being in my presence, snuggled up close, that helps him adjust before fully starting his day.

In Exodus 33 we see Moses’ young aide, Joshua, lingering in that nearness of the Lord. At the tent of meeting, the pillar of cloud would come down and the Lord would speak with Moses. After Moses leaves the tent, Joshua chooses to stay. Scripture doesn’t give us more details about Joshua’s actions or heart, but this detail may show us how Joshua values being in God’s Presence. He’s not following Moses, leaving as soon as Moses exits the tent. He’s not in a hurry, rushing off to complete his to-do list for the day. He chooses to stay near the Lord.

How do you approach your time with the Lord, dear one? Do you snuggle into the Presence of the Lord in the morning before starting your day? Are your moments in God’s Word and prayer rushed as you complete your to-do list? Do you allow yourself to linger as you sit with your Father?

Adjusting our thoughts and actions to be more like Joshua can help us start our day spiritually fully awake to what the Lord may have ahead. Nestled in God’s Presence is when we’ll capture those sweet words God may be speaking to our hearts that we’ve been longing to hear. Don’t miss out on those moments when you can linger with the Lord! They are precious both to you and to Him!