#1513. Are we still thirsting for God’s presence? (11/5/26)
- Matt Beaney
- May 11
- 4 min read
Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily Devotional (posted, at present, every weekday) as we begin a short series in celebration of our church’s 150th anniversary.
Are we less interested in God than in what we want Him to do for us?
To watch this devotional, please select the link below:
‘Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”’ (Exodus 33:15-16)
On Sunday, we celebrated the founding of our church around 150 years ago, in 1876. At that time, a man named John Geale, together with a small group from Metropolitan Tabernacle — the church pastored by Charles Spurgeon — came to Putney because they longed to reach the area with the gospel and establish a faithful, biblical church.
They would not have used these words, but God was calling them to ‘go up’ from there - a phrase that’s used in this account of Moses and people being called to ‘go up’ to God’s land.
They would not have used these exact words, but in many ways God was calling them to “go up” from there — language that echoes this account of Moses and God’s people being called to “go up” into the land that God had promised them. Like Israel, they were being called to leave what was familiar, trust God’s leading, and step out in faith so that His presence and purposes might be known in a new place.
At this point in the story, three months after escaping slavery in Egypt, the people are camped at Mount Sinai. God has given them His Ten Commandments, along with various laws and instructions, and now He is calling them to leave this place and go on to the land He had promised them.
However, because of their sin in making and worshipping the golden calf (Exodus 32), God says something deeply sobering. He tells them that He will still keep His promise to give them the land, but His presence will not go with them:
‘I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.”’ (Exodus 33:2-3)
For Moses, an angel is not enough. The fulfilment of God’s promise of the land is not enough. What he longs for is God Himself — to be with them and near to them.
Moses wants God to go with him and to dwell in the midst of His people as they enter the Promised Land.
And I wonder if this exposes something in us as well. So often, we want God to do things for us - healing, provision, guidance, relationships - but are we truly seeking to know Him and be near to Him? Is God our first love and deepest desire? Do we primarily want what He gives, or do we want Him Himself?
The Bible uses powerful imagery of thirst and “broken cisterns” in Jeremiah:
‘“My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.”’ (Jeremiah 2:13)
The picture is of people trying to satisfy their deepest thirst - for life, security, meaning and joy - by digging their own wells, but finding that what they rely on cannot actually hold what they need.
We were made to drink from God Himself, the ‘fountain of living water’, yet so often we settle for substitutes that cannot satisfy. Like broken cisterns, they promise much but ultimately leave us dry. Only God Himself can truly satisfy the deepest thirst of the human heart.
Response
Today, let’s be freshly challenged and encouraged to love God — to love His presence.
We may not have made a golden calf recently, but have we placed other idols in the place of God?
What are we investing ourselves in, and what does that reveal about what we truly believe is important and life-giving?
Let’s return to wanting God for God’s sake — loving Him for who He is, not simply for what we want from Him.
To watch our anniversary video, please select the link below:
Community Group Study
Balanced Time Allocation - Please ensure a balanced focus on discussion, SIV (Serve, Invest, and Invite), and prayer so that each section is meaningful and fruitful.
On Sunday, we celebrated 150 years since the founding of Community Church Putney in 1876.
A text that has really spoken to us in recent years - the text that is at the heart of our devotions this week - is Exodus 33:15-16.
Please read Exodus 33:15-16 and discuss:
Personal Reflection – What brought you to Community Church, and what has really encouraged you during your time here?
What is at the heart of Moses dissatisfaction with God’s offer?
What does it mean to be distinguished by God’s presence, and how can we seek to be such a church?
SIV (Serve, Invest, and Invite)
From our text, what do we learn about God’s presence and our effectiveness in mission?
Sharing Stories – Have you had any recent opportunities to Serve, Invest in, or Invite someone toward Jesus? Let’s encourage one another by sharing stories of how we’ve seen God at work through simple faithfulness.
Practical Next Steps – Who might God be placing on your heart at this time? Are there any “people of peace” (see note) in your life—those who seem open, welcoming, or receptive to spiritual conversation?
Let’s Pray Together
Let’s pray for one another in light of what we’ve studied and bring any other needs before God.
Pray for courage, wisdom, and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit in our Serve, Invest, and Invite opportunities.
Pray specifically for the ‘people of peace’ in our lives - that God would open hearts and deepen relationships.
General prayer: From our study, or from personal needs, how do people want prayer?
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