These words from Exodus 33 carry a beautiful message that reassures anxious hearts facing an unknown future.
1. The Presence of the Lord: The Only Source of Rest (v. 14) “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
At the beginning of a new year, we often wonder what lies ahead, and anxiety or fear of the unknown can easily take hold of our hearts. But the Lord Jesus does not merely promise to be with us on the journey—He promises us His face, His personal presence. What is striking here is that the Lord links “going” with “rest.” Normally, walking brings fatigue, but walking with Christ is the only kind of movement that brings rest to the soul. When the Lord commits to walking with us, it means He takes responsibility for navigating every difficult turn in the coming year—and at all times.
2. No Step Without You (v. 15) “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.”
May this be our prayer at the start of this new year—and every year. Moses understood that the Promised Land without the One who made the promise is nothing more than another desert.
We may ask God in the new year for success, health, or blessing, but let us lift our eyes to Him and say: “Lord, if You are not in this project or this decision, I do not want it.” Sometimes staying where we are with God is far better than climbing the peaks of success without Him. Let our motto this year be: “His presence is my compass.”
3. Our Identity Is “God With Us” (v. 16) “Is it not by Your going with us that we are distinguished, I and Your people…?” What distinguishes a believer in this confused and unstable world? Not intelligence, not luck—but the divine walk with God.
Our spiritual privilege: The world may possess technology and strategies, but the Church—you and I—possess Christ walking in our midst. His presence gives us discernment in times of crisis and peace in moments of turmoil. God’s walk with us in our daily lives becomes a living message that others read. Then the words of Scripture apply to us: “You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone.” (2 Corinthians 3:2)
4. A Response Built on Grace and Relationship (v. 17) “Because you have found favor in My sight, and I know you by name.”
Known by name: The Lord Jesus says to us today and every day, “I do not lead an anonymous flock; I know you by name.” He knows the details of my life, my hidden dreams, and my fears of the unknown future. Grace is our assurance: The Lord does not walk with us because we are perfect or better than others, but because we have found grace in His sight. This grace is our only guarantee that He will not abandon us, even if our steps falter during the year.
Let us not enter this year focused on the roughness of the road, but with our eyes fixed on the Companion of the road. If He is the One who walks with us, arrival is assured and rest accompanies us.
“My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of My hand.” (John 10:27–28)
“Lord, as this new year begins, help us not to seek Your gifts as much as we seek Your presence. Let Your face go before us, so our troubled souls may find rest. Amen.”
Iman Karras