Canceling Hurry - Week 3

WEEK 3: Practicing Presence — “If You Don’t Go, We Won’t Move”

Exodus 33:1–17
Big Idea: To cherish and practice God’s presence is to slow down long enough to remember that relationship with God is better than any reward from God.

I. Promise Without Presence (v. 1–3)

• “Go up to the land I promised…” — God still keeps His word.
• “I will send an angel before you…” — protection and provision remain.
• “But I will not go with you…” — His presence will not.
→ They could have the promise of God without the presence of God.

 How tempting would this be today? Comfort, peace, and provision — no conviction, no surrender, no relationship.
→ What good is the Promised Land if the Promise-Maker isn’t there?

II. The People’s Response: True Contrition (v. 4–6)

• “When the people heard this disastrous word, they mourned.”
→ Disastrous — because the absence of God’s presence is worse than any delay or desert.

• They remove their ornaments — the leftover gold that didn’t become the calf.
→ These symbols of pride and idolatry are laid down as signs of repentance.

Genesis 35:2–4
• You can’t move forward with God while still wearing the ornaments of your old life.

III. Moses’ Practice: The Tent of Meeting (v. 7–11)

• Moses takes a tent and pitches it outside the camp.
→ Separation — presence requires intentional withdrawal.

• The Lord would descend and speak “face to face, as one speaks to a friend.”
→ Intimacy — not mechanical, not religious formality, but friendship.

Moses’ rhythm becomes the model for unhurried life: withdraw → wait → return.
→ Where is your “tent of meeting”?
→ Do you have a time and place to step outside the camp of distraction?

IV. Moses’ Petition: “If Your Presence Doesn’t Go…” (v. 12–17)

→ The defining mark of God’s people is not what we build — it’s who we walk with.
• Hurry says, “Let’s keep moving.”
• Faith says, “Let’s not move until He leads.”

Week 1 taught us to trust God enough to stop.
Week 2 showed us the rhythm of moving with God.
Week 3 teaches us to refuse to move without Him.

→ You can have the land, the comfort, the success — but without Him, it’s just dust.
→ Better to be in the wilderness with God than in the palace without Him.

Small Group Discussion Questions – Week 3: Practicing Presence

Promise vs. Presence: In Exodus 33:1–3, God offers Israel the land and blessing—but without His presence. Why is this such a tempting trade? What might this look like in modern life or the church today?

True Repentance: The Israelites removed their jewelry as a visible act of repentance (vv. 4–6). What are some “ornaments” in your own life—habits, distractions, or comforts—you might need to set down to make more space for God?

Practicing Presence: Moses regularly pitched the Tent of Meeting outside the camp (vv. 7–11). What would an “outside the camp” space look like for you—a consistent place or time where you intentionally meet with God?

Dependence and Direction: Moses prayed, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” (v.15) How does this verse challenge the way we make plans, set goals, and measure success? What would it mean for you personally to wait for God’s “go”?

Presence Over Progress: We often value speed, results, and forward motion. How might your pace of life change if your primary goal became awareness of God’s presence rather than personal achievement?

3-Day Devotional Guide – Practicing Presence

Day 1 – The Temptation of the Promise Without Presence
Read: Exodus 33:1–3; God offers Israel everything they’ve dreamed of—land, victory, peace—but without His presence. It’s a shocking invitation: the blessings of God without the burden of relationship. Yet it exposes the same temptation in us—to want God’s gifts without His guidance.
Reflect: Where in your life have you settled for activity, achievement, or comfort without intimacy with God? Are there areas where you’ve pursued outcomes but neglected ongoing relationship?
Pray: “Lord, forgive me for wanting the promise more than the presence. Teach me to value You above everything You give.”

Day 2 – The Tent of Meeting: Creating Space for God
Read: Exodus 33:7–11; Moses made a practice of stepping outside the camp to meet with God. The camp represented noise, demands, and daily life; the tent represented stillness, attention, and friendship. Before Moses led the people, he learned to linger in God’s presence.
Reflect: What distractions fill your “camp” right now? How could you create your own “tent of meeting”—a physical place or spiritual rhythm to encounter God daily?
Practice: Spend 5 minutes in quiet. No phone, no prayer list, no background music. Simply say, “Speak, Lord, I’m listening.” Notice how quickly your heart wants to rush—and gently return your attention to God.
Pray: “God, draw me outside the noise. Teach me to hear You in the quiet.”

Day 3 – The Power of God’s Presence
Read: Exodus 33:12–17; Moses refuses to move without God’s presence. His bold request—“If You don’t go with us, don’t send us”—reveals total dependence. He understands that success without presence is failure, and presence without progress is enough.
Reflect: Where are you tempted to move without waiting for God’s direction? How would your week look different if you refused to move forward until you sensed His peace?
Practice: Before beginning a task, meeting, or decision today, pause and pray: “God, go with me—or stop me if You’re not in this.”
Pray: “Lord, I don’t want to move without You. Let Your presence lead, and I will follow.”