Moses was a "dry sponge." Remember, he climbed up Mount Sinai and spent forty days and forty nights there in the manifested presence of God. When he finally came off that mountain, he had a ten-point message on tablets of stone that he was going to give to his congregation of about three million people.

But as Moses walked down off that mountain, he heard dancing and music. Then he saw the people worshiping a golden calf, and he lost his sanctification! Although he had come fresh from the glory and the presence of God, Moses had a little temper fit in which he broke the tablets of stone (Ex. 32:19).

Then in Exodus 33:12-13, he entreated God, "Lord, I found favor in Your sight, but there's just one thing I don't know. Are You going with me to take these stiff-necked people to the Promised Land? Lord, I have to know You more progressively, to become more intimately acquainted with the wonders of Your person."

After forty days and forty nights, Moses was still not satisfied. He was still seeking that everlasting, ever-living presence of almighty God!

Then in Exodus 33:18, he cried out to the Lord again, saying, "Lord, show me Your glory!"

In other words, Moses was saying, "I know I just spent forty days with You, Lord. But when I came back down here to this mess, I had a temper fit and broke the tablets of stone. Now what am I going to do?"

Do you know what God said to Moses? "Come up again" (Ex. 34:2). Moses needed another dose of God's presence!

Often Christians think, I'm going to yield to God. I'll get over in His presence once or twice, and that will be enough to change what needs to be changed in me. But it doesn't work that way.

The first forty days Moses was up on Mount Sinai, he received some temporary help. But then he went back up on the mountain for forty more days - a total of eighty days. That's almost three months of being in the manifest presence of God!

When Moses came down off the mountain the second time, he even had to use a veil to hide the brilliance of God's glory on his face! (Ex. 34:29,33). Moses had returned to his people a changed man.

Why is that? Because the glory of God will change you if you will just stay in His presence.

This was one of many encounters Moses had with God during the years he led Israel - miraculous, marvelous encounters. But Moses never stayed stagnant. He didn't stop and park at some point in his walk with God. He kept moving on until he finished his course.

Of course, Moses was a great man of God. But Moses' holy hunger should be even more evident in us, God's chosen, blood-bought, redeemed, new covenant people. Jesus paid the price with His own blood for us so we would continually hunger after Him.

A Family Transformed by God's Presence
I heard a testimony that thrilled my heart concerning the power of staying in God's presence. A woman got up in church one morning to give a testimony about God's work in her family. Sixteen family members also stood up with her as she told their story.

This woman and her sixteen family members all lived close to each other. Even though they were all Christians, these relatives had always been embroiled in terrible strife and division, fighting continually among themselves.

Then this woman started attending revival services at a particular church. Soon her daughter started coming with her. Then slowly over the next eighteen months, all sixteen family members began to attend the services.

"We continually came to church so we could be saturated with God's presence," the woman said. "We knew it was going to take more than one dose to change us!"

The woman continued, "Yesterday, for the first time in our lives, we all spent Christmas together in a spirit of love. I want to give glory to the presence of God!"

Source: Renewed In His Presence by Lynne Hammond.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers