The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (Ex. 33:14)
When my daughters were little, the oldest was fearful in the dark. One evening I asked her to go to the basement for a can of soup and she hesitated, clearly wanting to be obedient, but fear held her back. Her sister, nine years younger, assured her, “Come on, Sissy, I’ll go with you.”
I think of all the times I hesitate when facing fearful circumstances. I want to obey God; I want to do what he asks of me. But in the middle of all the “want-tos,” my fear immobilizes me. I am not saying “no,” but I am not saying “yes” either. My head knows that God knows my name. I know that I am his child. I can acknowledge that he’s my God. But my boots are up to my knees in fear. I find myself reminding God, “I belong to you. Teach me how to become less fearful.”
Then comes that quiet urging. “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” I can sludge through the muddy fear with confidence when I’m holding God’s hand. Fear exhausts us. It keeps us from becoming what God desires, from what he calls us to. But when our hand is firmly held by God, fear leaves, and exhaustion turns to joy. Don’t let fear hold you back.
Face a fear in your life by holding on to God’s hand.
Pamela Kuhn’s favorite word is joy, and her favorite place is anywhere that holds books and sells tea.
© 2020 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission.
Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
The Glory of the Lord
Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” (Ex. 33:18)
The symphony is over, the curtains close, yet the thunder of applause remains, loud and insistent, begging “Give us more.” The curtain rises again, and we listen in awe to the “Hallelujah Chorus”—the jubilant end to the Handel’s Messiah. We knew how beautifully they could play, but in this last crescendo of praise we hear the musicians’ hearts.
And that’s exactly where Moses found himself while in the Tent of Meeting. The cloud of God’s presence was there, hovering outside, filling the inside. Moses remembered the plagues God sent on the Egyptians. He remembered how God parted the Red Sea. He remembered God’s finger writing Ten Commandments. He knew what God could do, but he wanted to know more of who God was. Moses knew God’s presence, but he wanted more—he longed to see God’s glory.
Moses wasn’t making another request of God. He wasn’t wanting to know what God would do for him. He wanted to know who God was through his mercy, grace, and goodness. His focus wasn’t on his own needs or the needs of the people he led. His focus was on God and a deep yearning to know more about him. Was God only a God of wrath? Of judgment? Moses wanted to see God’s love and mercy. He wanted an encore, so he could see God’s heart, to see his glory.
Make a list of the encores God has revealed to you.
Pamela Kuhn’s favorite word is joy, and her favorite place is anywhere that holds books and sells tea.
© 2020 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission.
Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
