Show me your glory

It was an important time for the Children of Israel.  Moses had just been told to leave Mt. Sinai and head for the land promised to Abraham’s descendants.  What Moses asked for was assurance that God would be with him.  He didn’t want to go anywhere without God and asked for assurance that God would be there wherever Moses led the people.

It was upon this request that the conversation between Moses and God took a very personal turn.  Moses said in Exodus 33:15-18…

¹⁵ Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. ¹⁶ For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.”  ¹⁷ So the Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.”  ¹⁸ And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.”

Moses craved God’s presence.  He wanted holiness, or separation from the world and he was able to ask for it because God knew him by name.  Why did God know him?  Because he wanted to see God’s glory.  He wanted to truly know and understand God in His fullness.  Though God granted Moses’ request, it was only God’s back that Moses was able to look upon, but what a sight!  When Moses wanted to see God’s glory, God showed it to Him.

Now we don’t have the same relationship with God that Moses had.  In fact, what we have is far greater, since God’s very Spirit dwells inside us.  If we want to see God’s glory, it’s all around us.  His presence is always here if we look for it, and wherever we go, God is always before us.  Still we need the attitude of Moses.  We need to crave the presence of God in our lives and seek His glory with all our heart.  When we do so, God will not deny us.  After all, not only does He know us by name, His name is upon us who are in Christ! 

Like Moses, we should tell God that we want His presence everywhere we go.  We should want to be separate from the world and seek to see God in all His glory in our lives.  When we do, we will see far more than we could ever imagine.

                                                                                                            God bless this week,

                                                                                                            Michael