Exodus 33:13-14 KJV
[13] Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. [14] And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
Moses started like most men born in slavery in Egypt. He had been taught about the God of Israel; a God of love whose heart was full of affection for His people, and even when He punished His people for their sin, His love did not wane or vanish. He would warn, he would send prophets to remind them of His standards, and when the time came, He would apply due punishment. A few judges and rulers later, He will restore them to Himself, and then the cycle will start again. If it was a mortal man, I am sure that he would have given up a long time ago, and abandoned the people to their own fate. How can anyone keep telling the same people the same thing over and over again, and there would be no change? Thank God that He is not man; if He was, man would have ceased to exist. It is His grace that makes it possible for me to still be in place till now, as well as keeping an eye on eternity.
It is in this light that the request of Moses in the verses above can be best understood. He was a man who was once a murderer and persona non-grata in Egypt. He ran for his life and ended up a shepherd, before he was called by God to bring his townspeople out from the land of slavery to the land of promise. How could a man with such a very complicated past be trusted with a critical assignment like this one? This is where the God introduced to us in the verses above now becomes real. He is a God who is invested in my success and progress, and He wants to have a healthy relationship with me. He is not the type to do seasonal or occasional favours but He wants me to be there for the whole ride, from physical birth to the reality of eternity. My past is just a phase, and will be a part of my story, but it does not have to determine the future. How did a man like Moses experience a God like this?
This is a God who answers prayers like the one Moses prayed here. He wants me to know Him; not just the mighty things He can do, but a progressive discovery of who He is. Like Moses, God is interested in showing Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is fully committed to Him. Men want miracles, signs and wonders, but will not seek to invest time to know this God. It is not a wonder that at the first sign of trouble, such men fall apart and walk away. I have to go deeper than just the optics and the benefits; God wants to do more than just give me what will make me happy. He wants to secure my earthly peace and my eternal redemption, and one of the best ways He will do this is by teaching me His way. I will never get the full dimensions on this side of eternity, but God is willing to show and teach me, if I am willing amd ready to learn. My eternity will be glad I did. God's time of favour is here.
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