“Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” Exodus 33:18
In this passage Moses has been trying to lead the people of Israel, who seem to ceaselessly turn their backs against the great God of their nation. For a moment let’s rewind to Moses’s experience in the desert with the burning bush. The Lord sent Moses back to Egypt to deliver the Israelites from oppression without giving Moses a full revelation of who it was that was sending him. God sent Moses off with this, “Go, and say I AM sent you”. Who was this I AM? Since then, the heart of Moses just burned to know who the great I AM was, he yearned to see His glory. Moses begs, “show me your glory” and God responds, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence..” (Exodus 33:19) Moses cries out to see God’s glory and God is not messing around when He answers with, this is my name. For if you can grasp the name of God, then you have seen His glory.
Exodus 33 is a passage that reveals the nature of God’s character in how He dealt with the rebellious people of Israel. God delivers His word to Moses on the mountaintop and Moses descends to find the people in rebellion by worshipping a golden calf made in the image of God. The stones of written commandments get shattered and God’s wrath comes. However, God gives the people a second chance and allows for two new stone tablets to be created. Through this God displays His glory, however it was not in the miraculous signs and wonders one would expect. God reveals His glory to Moses by displaying His mercy and compassion through an act of forgiveness.
Something I struggled with before I became a Christian was trying to find something to make me feel whole, something I could build my life and identity on, and for a while that very thing was snowboarding. I was seeking fulfillment and glory, not God’s, but of my own. As I gave my life to Christ and grew, I eventually had the realization of what I was doing. This happened around the same time I decided to become a missionary and moved to one of the driest and hottest places with no ski hill in sight! The desert of Baja CA Mexico would become my new home and with it came the sacrifice of winter and of snowboarding. God used that season to teach me what it meant to worship Him first and supremely and with that my love for the mountains and snowboarding changed. No longer chasing them to make me complete because Christ did that. God did eventually bring me back to the snow and the mountains and with that came a deeper awe and appreciation for Him.
Challenge:
It’s easy to worship and idolize the things we do and to find our identity in them–take time today to make sure your heart is focused on worshipping Christ and seeking to glorify His name.
Take time to enjoy His creation today and to praise Him for it, because it’s marvelous and there is no Creator like Him! Find ways today to give Him the GLORY that He deserves.
By Nicole Heppner | Christina Lake, British Columbia