Rewarded Efforts

Verse of the day: Exodus 33:13, 18 “Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.” 18 And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.”

What a beautiful conversation is taking place, here, between the Lord and Moses. Moses’ only desire, at this time, is to know God’s way, so that He can know God, and find grace in God’s sight. Oh that we, God’s children, would have as great a desire to know our God and His ways. However, before he makes his request known, he rehearses God’s own words back to Him, regarding God knowing him and God’s grace toward him. Christian, may I remind us that in order to rehearse God’s promises to us, in prayer, we must first know what His promises are? The only way we can do that is if we spend the kind of time, in God’s Word, necessary for us to learn them and know them (2 Timothy 2:15). We must meditate on His Word, and His promises, day and night (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 119:15-16; Philippians 4:8). Note that Moses is not selfish with God’s grace. In other words, because he has found favor with God, as a friend of God, he is now using this opportunity to intercede for the people of God (v. 12, 15-16). Our efforts to draw near to God should not be selfish. As we develop our relationship with the Lord, let us not just pray for ourselves; let us pray for others, for the salvation of the lost, the growth and needs of our brothers and sisters in Christ, and even for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44; Romans 1:9; 12:14; 1 Timothy 2:1). Moses’ pleading, and genuine seeking, to know God, and His ways, was profitable to both him and the Israelites. When we fail to pray, and spend intimate time with the Lord, we rob others of the blessing of being prayed for. We may even find that while we are praying, God will use us to be part of that answer God wants to give someone else who is praying, and desiring to draw near to God. He may use us to lead someone to Him, and disciple them, or provide a need that someone else has, just as He uses others to encourage and provide for us at times. Once Moses has obtained God’s promise to be with him and God’s people, he goes on to make a very bold request. Keep in mind, that even though he asks something that requires boldness, he does it with humility. In Christ, we have been given permission to come boldly before His throne of grace in our time of seeking mercy and grace in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16). His request was to see God’s glory. God graciously denies his request, but does not reject it completely. Although no one has ever seen the Father, only Jesus (John 1:18), Moses was allowed to see only a shadow, or visually obscured form of God (Numbers 12:8). No man can see God’s glory and live (v. 20). The disciples, and the people of Jesus’ day, saw God in the flesh. We today, although we cannot see Christ in the flesh, can vividly see Him in His Word. We can feel and know His presence. God needs to become real in each of our lives. There needs to be an honest, concerted, effort, on our part to seek the Lord. Too often we read God’s Word, He speaks to us about something, and we go on without praying or even praying about what He has just spoken to us about. Instead, we pull out our laundry list of wants, and ignore the conversation Jesus desires to have with us. If we put forth a genuine effort to know the Lord, and His ways, that effort will be rewarded; and that reward will be an intimacy that we have never experienced before with the Creator of the universe, the One True God. What greater reward could there be for a child of God?

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).