Follow Audaciously
Loving God through Daily Devotion · 2023
It was the boldest of demands. “Now, show me your glory” (Ex 33:18). It had never been asked of God before, nor was it asked for again in the Scriptural record. The question must be asked; why not? Why did nobody else have the passion and boldness to demand God reveal Himself fully? More importantly, do we demand God reveal Himself more fully to us? Do we demand to see God’s glory, or even to just speak to Him face to face as to a man like Moses did (Ex 33:11, Num 12:8)? When it comes to following intimacy with God, I have always found this audacious prayer to have profound power if prayed with genuine desire over time.
Moses’ demand really was remarkable. So much had happened and changed in just 12 months. Moses, a Hebrew slave turned turned Egyptian royalty, turned fugitive, turned shepherd, had encountered God at the burning bush. Likely, his 40 years with Jethro, priest of Midian, had helped him understand more of who God was, and what it meant to be part of the people of God. Yet, when Moses encountered God at the burning bush he was terrified. He hid his face in fear and was very reluctant to have anything to do with the quest God was commissioning him. In the end Moses provoked God to the point of burning anger. Quite a first encounter! Later, in a complex and little spoken about meeting, God tried to kill Moses on his return to Egypt (Ex 4:24). Yet Moses follows God’s instruction, faithfully, terrified or dutifully.
During the 12 months since then Moses had seen the wonder of God’s power, he saw God’s plan seemingly fail, and made things far worse for both Israel and himself. However, in the end it did work out, the Israelites escaped, and the Egyptian army was drowned in the Red Sea. Then the wonders of Mount Sinai, where God was visibly present, powerful and reaching out to the Israelites, who were terrified. They responded with moments of faithfulness, panic, grumbling and flagrant idolatry. But Moses’ response was different, very different.
To this point Moses had diverse experiences of God, some quite extreme and some negative. He could quite justifiably have had mixed feelings towards God, fluctuating like the rest of Israel. He didn’t look for God, nor for an impossible quest to save Israel. He didn’t mean to provoke the anger of God, the hardship of opposition in Egypt, or complaining in the desert. Yet he remained faithful. During the golden calf incident, Moses interceded for the people who God threatened with destruction (Ex 32:11-14). We see a man who understood God’s heart, was walking in step with God, and reflecting God’s heart. We see Moses willing to call out God’s seemingly “ungodly” behaviour as Abraham did, bold, courageous and motivated by Godly compassion. Just one year after the fear and reluctance of the burning bush, we see Moses go a step further and demand to see God, to speak to God, to interact with God intimately and personally, like that of Enoch. This demand is unique to Moses, a man who stands alone in Scripture in his desire for intimacy with God, and his boldness in pursuing it. We see a man who had come to understand God’s passion to connect intimately with people, with you and with me. What changed? What made the difference? It was Moses’ desire for God Himself; a passion to see, to know, to experience God. It was a passion God richly rewarded.
We all have different experiences of God. Some are profound and uplifting. Some are hard and easy to misunderstand. Like Moses, our experiences of God are complex. Like Moses, God calls us to live in a way provocative to our world at times. We face challenges as we pursue love, service, and Christlikeness. Like Moses, God is revealing Himself in a bid to draw us ever nearer to Himself, a fact the Hebrews missed. Like Moses we have a choice.
Our journey starts by hearing about and being taught about God, as Moses did in Jethro’s tents. The first time we experience God personally might be joyous, which was my experience, or it might be confronting like Moses. When God calls us, we are always challenged. Yet, through it all, God has a singular motivation; to dwell with us and us with Him. When we understand this, as Moses came to, our ability to follow is transformed. We seek his face with renewed enthusiasm and find God smiling with delight as He answers that prayer. Why? Because God desires to be present, known, understood, and intimately connected to us, now and for eternity. He is revealing Himself and wooing us to that end. That is what it means to follow, to build a deep connection with God. I have personally found great value in that same audacious, cheeky, irreverent demand: show me Your glory! “Speak to me face to face like you did for Moses. I want to see You, hear You, experience You. I won’t settle for anything less. Show up and show up clearly, because I will have for nothing less than You. Like Moses I will follow.
Father, my faith and my following has often been defined by doctrine and teachings. Thank you for these wonderful revelations of who You are, and what You value. But Father, I want more. I demand more. I want to know and experience You intimately. Like Moses, I pray that You show me Your glory. Speak to me face to face. Let me see, experience, and know You tangibly. Like Enoch, I would walk with You in conscious awareness. I ask boldly, knowing this is no common thing, but that it is Your desire. I seek nothing but You, ever more of You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
