Moses Gets a Makeover

God is so cool!

My post-op routine in the morning when I wake up and use the restroom pretty much goes like this: wobble to kitchen and get ice pack, wobble back to bed and put ice on knee, turn iphone on and read e-mail (because I'm technically working from home while I recuperate, and my phone is employer-owned), read my Bible, take ice off, wobble back to kitchen, return ice to freezer, eat breakfast, do standing exercises, etc.  I know you're probably wondering why I'm sharing this with you, and that would be a great question. Ok...here's the reason. When I told you that I read Stephanie's blog post before I read my Bible, I wanted you to understand that this was not by chance. I read my emails first every day. And here's how that relates to my first words in this post.

Stephanie's post was all about experiencing the presence of God. I could so relate to her struggle, as I too have a list of places where I can tell you with full assurance that God has met me. When the dryness of routine and the busyness of life lead to God-less moment after God-less moment, I've found myself longing for a visit from Him. He is certainly always with us, but I'm talking about something far more tangible and satisfying than that Sunday School-learned promise. Ok...so after I read Steph's post and prayed for her (and, not gonna lie, for myself), I opened my Kindle to read my Bible. Today's plan began with Exodus 34 (I'm prob a few days ahead of most of you, remember). Exodus 34 is ALL about God meeting with Moses. Exactly the same topic as Stephanie's post. So, yeah. God is SO cool!

God met with Moses, and so real was God's presence that, when Moses came down from the mountain and the people saw him, his face actually reflected light. I'm reading in the ESV, and it says, "..the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God." Can you imagine?? Now that's the kind of makeover we should all want, and it's the kind of "experience" Stephanie is talking about. Moses and God shared so many intimate moments together. That had to be what kept him motivated because, let's be honest...leading the fickle Israelites was no picnic. Over and over again in Exodus, they are referred to as a "stiff-necked" people. God kept Moses in the fight though by blessing Him with His presence. Moses' "quiet time" was, literally, time WITH God.

I think Moses was an incredible man of God, surely a wonderful leader, but there's really nothing extraordinary about him. He started his life in a basket, for pete's sake! What distinguishes Moses from the masses is his hunger for God to reveal Himself. He asked for signs, for affirmations, and He got them. Once he got them though, he acted. He obeyed. He led. He walked forward in faith. Me? I ask for affirmation and signs and words from God, and then when I get them, I wonder if it was really a sign or if I was being emotional. I sit back and wait, as if God doesn't have a billion other people who could do what He's asked me to do.

In verses 6 and 7 of Exodus 34, I read that God actually glorified and exalted Himself in Moses' presence. Can you imagine what that must've been like? You're on a mountain that suddenly turns into church, and the Worship Leader turns out to be God...?!?! I would've freaked, I'm sure. Or reached for my phone to take a picture. "The folks down there are never gonna believe this", I would've thought. Moses was human. He had to have been amazed. But the Bible says in verse 8 that "he quickly bowed his head to the earth and worshipped." That word "quickly" is what gets me. That tells me it was his first, automatic response.

It's gonna take me a lot more time to think about all I've read this morning-- from the emails, to Steph's post, to the Bible-- before I feel like I have a "lesson" or something concrete to share about what God has taught me today. I do know this though, right off the bat: God does want to have that kind of intimate fellowship with me, and it comes through or, possibly after,  stopping everything to just worship Him. Not pleading to see more of Him or asking for stuff I think I need or complaining about the stiff-necked people in my life and how they interfere with my ability to focus on God. Just worship. Agreeing with Him about who He is and how magnificent that is and how worthy He is of my adoration.

I think it's time for that kind of facial.

~Maria