The Tunnel

“My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest [by bringing you and the people into the promised land]” – Exodus 33:14

After receiving the biopsy result, my doctor instructed me to undergo immediate treatment. My family and I felt lost and unsure of which doctor to go to. So, we took some time to pray and asked God for guidance.

My wife suggested that I call one of our friends who worked at a hospital to help us secure an appointment. It was near closing time for clinics, but thankfully, our friend managed to get us an appointment with a doctor. We rushed over quickly.

When we arrived at the clinic, it was already closed, but the doctor agreed to see us. We had a long consultation with him, and at the end of it, he said something that gave us the strength to take our next step: "There's always light at the end of every tunnel."

I pondered those words, but something felt amiss. I recalled my two daughters, who were always excited when they passed through road tunnels. They had no fear in their hearts because the tunnels were bright and full of lights along the way. I realized I wanted that kind of tunnel in my journey too, not a dark one.

Moses spent forty days with God on the mountain. While he was away, the Israelites became impatient and weary because they could not see God. They wanted a visible God, so they made a golden calf and worshiped it. When Moses saw what happened, he was distressed because he witnessed how easily the Israelites had turned away from the Lord. It was as if he was placed in a dark tunnel with no idea where to go or how to lead them.

Moses knew he couldn't resume his journey with the Israelites without God, so he asked God to teach him His ways so that he may find grace and favor in His sight. God's answer to his prayer was everything Moses needed: "My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest." God promised Moses that His presence shall always be with him. God lit up Moses's dark tunnel with His glory. Moses responded by appealing to God that he would not take a single step without His Light.

Today, God's Light is no longer contained in a building or an ark. Through Christ, the Light lives in every believer, in you and me. God's grace is not only a light at the end of the tunnel, but it's a light that guides us through it.

If you are in a tunnel now, know that you are not in a dark tunnel. Your tunnel is illuminated by the glory of God, for the glory of God. What you need is God's presence every day, every hour, every minute, and every second, and God will give you rest. What amazing grace we have in Jesus Christ!

The presence of God is with us, in us, and on us