Daily Devotional

“I will not be with you anymore.” These may be the most terrifying words in all of Scripture for God’s people. Not poverty, not sickness, not even death, the worst thing that could happen to Israel was for God to withdraw His presence.

This wasn’t just a threat; it was a statement of spiritual reality. Sin creates separation. Not ultimate, eternal separation for those who belong to God through Christ, but real, present separation that affects our fellowship, our peace, our spiritual power, and our effectiveness in His kingdom.

The ultimate cost of maintaining God’s presence is dealing honestly with sin. We can’t have both our sin and God’s fullness. We can’t cling to our devoted things and expect His blessing. At some point, we must choose: Will we hold onto what we’ve hidden, or will we surrender it for the sake of His presence?

But notice the beautiful resolution: “So the Lord turned from his burning anger.” When Israel dealt with the sin in their midst, God’s presence returned. His anger had an endpoint. His discipline had a purpose. The valley of trouble became a door of hope.

This is the pattern throughout Scripture: God’s people sin, experience the consequences of separation from His blessing, repent and remove the sin, and then experience restoration of fellowship. God is always ready, always willing to restore the relationship when we’re ready to deal honestly with what’s hindering it.

The cost of God’s presence is high, it requires us to surrender everything that competes with Him. But the cost of His absence is far higher.