When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed. (Ex. 33:22)

When a tornado touched down in Indiana near our friend’s home, they were on their knees with pillows over their heads. It wasn’t the perfect place to be, but it was the safest—much better than if they had stood on their porch and watched it touch down. The roar was loud as the winds hit their barn and nearby fields, yet left their home untouched.

A force much greater than a tornado would strike Moses if he saw the face of God—nobody could look on his face and live. So, God prepared a rock, hollowing out a place in the middle. “Hide in the rock and I will shield you from seeing my face. Then I’ll take my hand away and you can see my back—you will see some of my glory.”

What would have happened if Moses had insisted on seeing God’s face? He would have died. He would have missed out on leading God’s people. He would have missed miracles of God, conversations with God, and love given by God. He also would have missed out on the lessons from God. God shielded Moses from missing out on all God had for him. In love, God simply placed Moses in the rock’s cleft and covered him with his kind hand. He offers us a cleft in his rock where we can hide.

Picture yourself in God’s rock, under his 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®.