- May 12, 2004
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...then your view of God is TOO SMALL. Again, if your problems seem too big, then your view of God is too small.
When the waves of this life toss you back and forth and every gasp of air seems insufficient. When the problems of this life invade the depths of your soul like they know where they're going. When you are heavy-burdened and no rest is in sight; you need to seek the almighty, sovereign, perfect power and provision that is found in God alone. It isn't until you reach out for this and trust it in faith, that we will be at rest. God wants to replace your weakness for His strength. Your chaos for His peace. Your pain for His love. Your problem for His power to move mountains in your life.
Remember Moses? He was chosen to lead God's people to the Promised Land. This was no easy task, and in fact it quickly became a huge problem! The Israelites where complaining and arguing about anything and everything. They kept worshipping false gods and making sacrifices to them. They fought with each other, and constantly disobeyed God. Finally, after years of this nonsense and unrepentant hearts, we read that God told the Israelites that He was going to destroy them (see Exodus 33). Moses responds by going up Mount Sinai to pray. In that moment, Moses intercedes for the Israelites and asks God to spare them. God is so pleased by what Moses did, that He makes an offer to him. He tells Moses that He will grant him whatever he wants. Think about this a minute; God offered Moses whatever he wanted because He was pleased and found favor in him. It's as if God opened up heaven's checkbook and was ready to write.
If you were Moses, in the middle of a huge crisis like this, and God offered you whatever you wanted...what would you ask for? Would you even pray? Would I? Well, I can think of quite a few things I'd ask for! "Please God, take this problem out of my life!" Or..."God, please don't let this be so difficult!" Or even..."God, your people are really a pain in my behind, and you'd better pay up! I want a palace, with 200 chariots and horses, with streams of water and palm trees, and..." Yeah, it's a good thing I'm not Moses! Check this out brothers and sisters, look at what Moses asks God for. Of all the things in this world Moses could have asked for - of all the riches, splendors, comforts, and heavenly gifts he could have asked for - Moses asks God for this one thing..."Show me Your glory."
It's as if Moses said, "God, in the middle of this huge problem, I'll know that You are with me and I can get through all these troubles...if I can just see a glimpse of You...show me Your glory, and I will be able to carry on as your servant." Wow! So then, what happened? God told Moses to hide himself behind a rock, and He would cover him with His hand as He passed by, and that he would remove His hand and allow Moses to see His glory. In other words: God answered Moses' request. So Moses hid, God passed by, and as He was still in the horizon, God removed His hand and Moses witnessed a glimpse of God's glory. Moses witnessed a small glimpse of God's power and glory, and was forever changed.
Moses went up the mountain with problems. His face was scorched from the sun, and the pressures and stress of leading these people was a huge burden. When he came down from the mountain, he was renewed. The Bible says that his face was bright and shining as a result of seeing God! The people stood back in fear of Moses' face. Did you know that people wrote about the face of Moses all the way into the New Testament? Moses was forever changed by the glory of God.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, consider the significance of this story. Moses had major problems, just like you and me. Moses had an encounter with the living God of the universe, just like you and me. Moses was forever changed, just like you and me (although we don't always live this way). Here is the difference: His desire was to see the face of God in the midst of his problems. Our desire is often very different. He could have asked God to take away the problems, but he didn't. He could have asked God to make it easier for him, but he didn't. Moses had his perspective in the right place - the face of God. God's strength, God's peace, God's love, God's power...God's glory.
If your problems seem too big, then your view of God is too small. Brothers and sisters, I encourage you this day and for the days to come; seek God's glory in the middle of your problems. Recognize His position as Lord of your life - His authority and power. Rest in His provision and peace. Rely on His perfect love and grace. Realize that you are not meant to live this life apart from Him! Live, and let your face shine for God.
Father God, I pray that we will gain the right perspective in the midst of our problems. I ask dear Lord, that you will show us your glory...and that we will be forever changed because of it.
Amen.
=Veritas=
--This was written for all of us, myself included. However, I dedicate it to a couple of my friends who are going through some very difficult times right now. May God bless you and keep you my friends. May you seek His face above all.--
When the waves of this life toss you back and forth and every gasp of air seems insufficient. When the problems of this life invade the depths of your soul like they know where they're going. When you are heavy-burdened and no rest is in sight; you need to seek the almighty, sovereign, perfect power and provision that is found in God alone. It isn't until you reach out for this and trust it in faith, that we will be at rest. God wants to replace your weakness for His strength. Your chaos for His peace. Your pain for His love. Your problem for His power to move mountains in your life.
Remember Moses? He was chosen to lead God's people to the Promised Land. This was no easy task, and in fact it quickly became a huge problem! The Israelites where complaining and arguing about anything and everything. They kept worshipping false gods and making sacrifices to them. They fought with each other, and constantly disobeyed God. Finally, after years of this nonsense and unrepentant hearts, we read that God told the Israelites that He was going to destroy them (see Exodus 33). Moses responds by going up Mount Sinai to pray. In that moment, Moses intercedes for the Israelites and asks God to spare them. God is so pleased by what Moses did, that He makes an offer to him. He tells Moses that He will grant him whatever he wants. Think about this a minute; God offered Moses whatever he wanted because He was pleased and found favor in him. It's as if God opened up heaven's checkbook and was ready to write.
If you were Moses, in the middle of a huge crisis like this, and God offered you whatever you wanted...what would you ask for? Would you even pray? Would I? Well, I can think of quite a few things I'd ask for! "Please God, take this problem out of my life!" Or..."God, please don't let this be so difficult!" Or even..."God, your people are really a pain in my behind, and you'd better pay up! I want a palace, with 200 chariots and horses, with streams of water and palm trees, and..." Yeah, it's a good thing I'm not Moses! Check this out brothers and sisters, look at what Moses asks God for. Of all the things in this world Moses could have asked for - of all the riches, splendors, comforts, and heavenly gifts he could have asked for - Moses asks God for this one thing..."Show me Your glory."
It's as if Moses said, "God, in the middle of this huge problem, I'll know that You are with me and I can get through all these troubles...if I can just see a glimpse of You...show me Your glory, and I will be able to carry on as your servant." Wow! So then, what happened? God told Moses to hide himself behind a rock, and He would cover him with His hand as He passed by, and that he would remove His hand and allow Moses to see His glory. In other words: God answered Moses' request. So Moses hid, God passed by, and as He was still in the horizon, God removed His hand and Moses witnessed a glimpse of God's glory. Moses witnessed a small glimpse of God's power and glory, and was forever changed.
Moses went up the mountain with problems. His face was scorched from the sun, and the pressures and stress of leading these people was a huge burden. When he came down from the mountain, he was renewed. The Bible says that his face was bright and shining as a result of seeing God! The people stood back in fear of Moses' face. Did you know that people wrote about the face of Moses all the way into the New Testament? Moses was forever changed by the glory of God.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, consider the significance of this story. Moses had major problems, just like you and me. Moses had an encounter with the living God of the universe, just like you and me. Moses was forever changed, just like you and me (although we don't always live this way). Here is the difference: His desire was to see the face of God in the midst of his problems. Our desire is often very different. He could have asked God to take away the problems, but he didn't. He could have asked God to make it easier for him, but he didn't. Moses had his perspective in the right place - the face of God. God's strength, God's peace, God's love, God's power...God's glory.
If your problems seem too big, then your view of God is too small. Brothers and sisters, I encourage you this day and for the days to come; seek God's glory in the middle of your problems. Recognize His position as Lord of your life - His authority and power. Rest in His provision and peace. Rely on His perfect love and grace. Realize that you are not meant to live this life apart from Him! Live, and let your face shine for God.
Father God, I pray that we will gain the right perspective in the midst of our problems. I ask dear Lord, that you will show us your glory...and that we will be forever changed because of it.
Amen.
=Veritas=
--This was written for all of us, myself included. However, I dedicate it to a couple of my friends who are going through some very difficult times right now. May God bless you and keep you my friends. May you seek His face above all.--