Exo 33:18 And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.”
So glad to be back at the blog after few weeks, Church family. For the few weeks missed, a little longer one today penned at 28k feet up in the air on an aluminum bird. Since early this morning around 2am this verse kept popping in my head over and over. As I listened to the still small voice and meditated on it, as I got ready, on Uber, at airport and on the plane, learnt so much from the Spirit. But just got time to post after a busy day!
I mused on the word ‘Providence’ that was inspired in my spirit and what could I learn about God’s providence from this verse! As always, HE never disappoints!
How do you see God’s providence working in your life?
Is HE a butler on call to fulfill your needs? Or
Is HE a vending machine popping out blessing for every prayer hour you pop in? Or
Is HE a sovereign provider who is beyond the daily needs, wants and even desires?
This verse is one of the BIGGEST, BOLDEST, BRAVEST and if I were God, I would even call it the BADDEST ask (aka prayer) in all of Bible; yet Moses dared to ask! Outrageous ask to fathom the unfathomable, contain in his heart and mind the uncontainable!
When Moses asked for this, make no mistake, he had several immediate priorities and problems crushing him. They were real needs, pressing demands, daunting tasks, challenge to his leadership, murmuring on Manna, complaining on water yada yada yada. Leading millions in the middle of nowhere by sheer faith alone to a promised land that the people repeatedly doubted, questioned, challenged and revolted against, Moses indeed had too many things to figure out/handle right away. Still, when he was in the very midst of so many desperate needs, wants and desires, Moses asked (aka prayed)
“Please, show me Your glory” (Exo 33:18)
God the Creator of the universe, Nothing impossible God tells Moses, “you’ve found grace in my sight, I know you by name, ask me anything”
Moses did not ask for swift transition to promised land bypassing all hurdles, hardships and perils ahead!
Moses did not ask for comfortable lifestyle or superhero powers like ability to fly to prove to the enemies that they are ‘really chosen people’!
Moses did not ask any of his needs or wants or problems to disappear!
Moses did not ask for Kingship of the promised land!
Instead, Moses asked “Please show me Your glory”
Moses did not ask for the needs of the present, wants of the near future but expressed the desire of his heart for the future here and for the future in eternity!
Yes, the desert is real, heat is real, bitterness is real, hurdles are real, murmuring and complaints are real, failures and shortcoming of himself and his people are real, yet Moses trusted in a God who works and leads in and through all of it to the promised land. Moses had his eyes, mind and heart set on HIM and HIM alone! Without such intense focus, Moses could not have led Israel even for a day, let alone decades.
Dearly beloved, neither can you and I. As we go through the rugged path of life, is our focus on the right things? On the right person? If not, it really doesn’t matter how far you go, if it is the wrong direction. It takes you away from the destination.
Are you bogged down by relentless pressures of the present and struggling? Would you learn from Moses to set your eyes, heart and mind upon HIM who ought to be the desire and destination of your heart? When He is, rest will align by His Word, in His Spirit according to His will. Otherwise, you only hop from fire to heat and vice versa. Always busy never get anything done. Always moving never reaching.
We all have needs, wants and desires in daily life. If God would appear and pops the same question, what would we ask? Family? Wealth? Health? Obedient children? Job? Healthy parents? Long life? Safety? Peace? Love? Nothing wrong in asking for those as it is God’s pleasure to bless Israel (Num 24:1) but none of it will give you the peace you long for as God is still waiting to be the desire of your heart. Still waiting for you to ask Him what HE desires! Have you asked lately?
Fulfillment of our needs and wants never brings contentment because the God sized vacuum in your heart is still empty. That’s why mere contentment is not gain, only Godliness with contentment is great gain (1 Tim 6:6)
We typically ask what is in our heart or where our heart is (Matt 6:21). When would HE become the treasure of our heart that if there is one thing we ask, it would be HIM?
If all our needs and wants are met instantly, without any hardship, we’d miss all the lessons God wants to teach, all the experience He wants us to go through and train us to endure till the end. (Matt 24:13). Maybe our present day needs, wants and struggles are a means to the end of being in His presence, which ought to be our desire. When so, ask would be like Moses's. When so, not only in eternity, even here on earth, we’d carry His presence with us and that transforms our life to be an overflowing vessel of blessing that touches the lives around us.
Moses wanted to see the Glory that He would one day be in, enjoying. All his present/near future struggles are overshadowing the glory he so wanted to behold. Moses desperately needed to grasp the reality of it just once and reassure himself that all his struggle leading this still-necked people are not in vain. That motivation is enough for him to walk through oceans, dessert, wilderness or walls.
So is for us. That vision of Glory is enough for us to cross over this lifetime and all the hurdles and struggles in brings in!
Go…dare to ask God for the impossible that pleases HIM and making impossible, possible precisely is his sweet spot! Stay encouraged, Stay blessed!
Have a blessed week ahead Brothers and Sisters!
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