| Dear Church, Charles Spurgeon once said, “I think that the greatest blessing God ever gives to a man is His own presence.” Not wealth. Not popularity. Not even comfort. Just Him. Now the question is, can we truly say the same? In a time when headlines warn of a looming global recession, and financial anxiety is creeping into homes, 401K, and boardrooms, it is time to ask, what is the greatest treasure of my life? Where does my delight lie? On what does my security hang on? There’s nothing wrong with provision or planning; but the things we consider ‘secure’ are really not secure and none of those things can sustain our lives like the presence of God can. Moses got this. He prayed, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” — Exodus 33:15 He was essentially saying, “I’d rather stay in the desert with You, Lord, than step into the land of milk and honey without You.” What if the economy shifts? What if our retirement accounts dry up? What if the life we carefully built suddenly feels uncertain? Would we still say, like the prophet Habakkuk said, “As long as I have Him, I have all I need? “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” That’s where the real test of our devotion lies. Habakkuk 3:17-18. So, this week, don’t just pray for clarity or ease or provision, pray for more of God. Because when God is with us, even our wilderness becomes holy ground. Even our waiting becomes sacred space, and even the hard places become healing places. His presence is the prize. Let’s Walk in that truth, together. Be Encouraged, Pastor Mathews |
