FACE TO FACE

"They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads" (Revelation 22:4).

Show me Your glory! What a bold statement to ask of God!  "When Moses pleaded with God, saying, "I beseech thee, show me Thy glory," God said, "Thou canst not see My face: for there shall no man see Me, and live. And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by Me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: and it shall come to pass, while My glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock; and will cover thee with My hand while I pass by: and I will take away Mine hand, and thou shalt see My back but My face shall not be seen." Exodus 33:18-23, KJV.

Why did Moses make such a demanding request from God? Was it merely from idle curiosity or something more? He seemed to have been driven by a heavy burden. Israel had turned from the Lord by bowing and dancing before the golden calf at Mt. Sinai. God had punished the transgressors. 3000 men fell that day. So horrid was their iniquity that God announced His presence would no longer be with them. Neither the pillar of cloud nor the pillar of fire would lead them to the Promised Land. The people were filled with great sorrow. How could they go on unless the Lord led the way?

Moses felt this like nobody else. Every step he took was by the direction of God; he walked where Christ led. He took every problem to Him and the Lord "spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend" (Exodus 33:11). Moses was right with God, but no other favor  did he covet more than God's presence. 

So Moses prayed, "If I have found favor in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You" (Exodus 33:13). Moses already knew God; he walked in the sunlight of His presence. But even now, he prays that he may know Him. Obviously, this prayer is not merely for himself. It is for God's people. For he goes on to say, "Show me now Your way, that I may know You...and consider that this nation is Your people." 

God was pleased with this prayer and promised His friend that "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest" (Exodus 33:14). Moses still wasn't sure if these words were meant only for him or for all of Israel. So he pressed for more. Once again, he pled for God's presence to go with His people and the promise was repeated. But still he wasn't satisfied. This is when he asked for the greatest sign of all. Because he needed God's assurance that He'd always be with them, he asked to see God's face. Before  he could go on in his work, he needed to know God would go with him. 

I'm discovering that intimacy is dwelling in the glory of God, living in God's presence. Do we crave it as much as Moses did? Do we feel we can't go on, at the start of our day, without communion with our Savior? How can we reveal Christ to our family, at our workplace, or in our neighborhoods if Jesus does not lead the way? How can we do the work Jesus has placed in our hands? Without God's presence, touching all that we do, we won't have success nor can we lead our loved ones into the Promised Land!

"We cannot now see the glory of God, but it's only by receiving Him here that we shall be able by and by to see Him face to face. God would have us keep our eyes fixed on Him, that we may lose sight of the things of this world. We  have but a little time in which to work...there is no time for any of us to delay that preparation which will enable us to see the face of God. We must become Christlike here, and know him as a present and personal Savior" (Youth's Instructor, 8/20/76).

Before I begin this new day, I am going up to the mountaintop to seek the presence of the Lord. I may not see His visible face, but in my Quiet Time, I will sense that He is here. His presence is what I need most in following His Living Way. And to truly know Him, as Moses once did, "as a man speaks to a friend."

My Prayer
Dear Lord, show me Your glory today. Help me to see You as I soak in Your Word that I may be filled with Your presence and Your Spirit. I can't go on unless You're with me today--to keep You always before me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

A SOLITARY PLACE

"And He said to them, 'Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.' For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat" (Mark 6:31).

From start to finish, the life of Jesus could be summed up in a single word...Sacrifice. Before He ever trudged up Calvary's road, to bear your sins and mine, He carried the cross of sacrifice. 

 “The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister.” Matthew 20:28. Not for Himself, but for others, He lived and thought and prayed" (Christ's Object Lessons, pg 139). 

"His life was one of constant self sacrifice. He had no home in this world except as the kindness of friends provided for Him...In every city, in every town, every village through which He passed, He laid His hands upon the afflicted ones and healed them. Wherever there were hearts ready to receive His message, He comforted them with the assurance of their heavenly Father's love. All day He ministered to those who came to Him; in the evening He gave attention to such as through the day must toil to earn a pittance for the support of their families" (Ministry of Healing, pg. 17,19). 

When I look at Jesus, I see a life of such constant devotion to His mission. It was as basic to His nature to give to others as it is for us to eat or breathe. In fact, He said it in just that way. "My food is to do the will of My Father in heaven, and to finish His work" (John 4:34). This mission compelled Him to push forward in spite of harassment from the Pharisees, to forego sleep, and walk countless miles, from Galilee to Phoenicia. He may have become weary, but He never faltered. "When He saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd" (Matthew 9:36, New Revised Standard). 

The burdens of His work must have been enormous! What urgency He must have felt as He watched the reaction of the spies and Pharisees, dogging His every step. But His mission never consumed Him to such a point that He worked non-stop, never taking time to rest. Quite often, "He went out and departed to a solitary place and there He prayed" (Mark 1:35). As fervent as He was in finishing God's work, He was just as fervent in seeking communion with God. After the sun set, He would retire to the mountains or a quiet garden, to seek His Father's presence, unburden His heart, and find strength to keep going on His mission of salvation.  

Christ's mission is our mission as well. Millions surround us who are not ready for the coming of the Lord. Millions more are dying in their sins, going down to Christless graves, "having no hope and without God in the world" (Ephesians 2:12). Jesus calls us to go, move out, and make disciples of all nations. The great needs are pressing all around us. And yet, if we take no time to be still with God, no vital spark will ignite our work. We'll just be spinning our wheels, working for Him in our own strength. And what's worse, we may give a distorted picture of who God really is.

"From hours spent with God [Jesus] came forth morning by morning, to bring the light of heaven to men. Daily He received a fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit. In the early hours of the new day the Lord awakened Him from His slumbers, and His soul and His lips were anointed with grace, that He might impart to others. His words were given Him fresh from the heavenly courts that He might speak in season to the weary and oppressed" (Christ's Object Lessons, pg. 139). 


Our Savior never calls us to a life of endless toil. He knows better than we do how much we need solitude--time to hear God's voice, time to become what He is, full of grace and truth. Working for Jesus will always be the Christian's "food"--just as it is for Jesus. But a consecrated life is a balanced life. It's a life demanding intimacy with the Father. And solitude is the place to get it. 

For in being still, the worries and cares cease their clanging. And you hear God's voice breaking  through the stillness,  saying, "Come unto Me, all you who labor and  are heavy laden and  I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28.  "Be still, my child.  Be still and listen, and watch this hour with Me."

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LISTEN AS A DISCIPLE

"The Lord God has given me the tongue of disciples, 
that I may know how to sustain 
a weary one with a word. 
He awakens me morning by morning; 

He awakens my ear to listen as a disciple."

(Psalm 119:32, NAS)

Christ was continually receiving from the Father that He might communicate with us. ‘The word which ye hear,’ He said, ‘is not Mine, but the Father’s which sent Me’ (John 14:24). ‘The Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister’ (Matthew 20:28). Not for Himself, but for others, He lived and thought and prayed. From hours spent with God, He came forth morning by morning, to bring the light of heaven to men. Daily He received a fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit. In the early hours of the new day the Lord awakened Him from His slumbers, and His soul and His lips were anointed with grace, that He might impart to others. His words were given Him fresh from the heavenly courts, words that He might speak in season to the weary and oppressed (Christ’s Object Lessons, 139).

Before I gave my life to Jesus, I hated Monday mornings. I woke up with a list of all the stuff I had to do running in my head. Breakfast, laundry, getting lunch ready before my husband headed off work. And before I knew it, I was plowing through the list, without hardly taking a breath for God. But since I've been seeking Jesus in a new way, I find my 1st thoughts are of Him. My mind and heart turns to Jesus before my feet even touch the floor. 

When you wake up to the Spirit's call, He wakes you up to listen. For many years, I thought of communion with Christ as something I do--how I pray, how I study, how I memorize the Bible. But communion is really about a conversation with God. It's listening to Him in His Word, it's talking with Him in prayer. Either way, I'm turning to Jesus, to sit at His feet and listen. 

What does it mean to listen as a disciple? Is it different from listening to a friend? Usually when I talk with my friends, I share what's happening in my life. I listen to find out what's important to them. Is it any different with Jesus? I hear what's on His heart. But then, God turns listening on its ear. He shares what's important for me, not merely what's important to Him.

When I listen as a disciple, I also listen as a student. A disciple is someone in training who's learning from a wiser or more experienced teacher. But the goal is more than knowledge. For the Savior tells us, "A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher" (Luke 6:40). So, the goal of listening to Jesus isn't mere information. It's transformation! I listen to be like Jesus. The words on the pages of my Bible come to life as they meet the hunger in my heart. I reach out to God, He reaches out to me. And in between, His knowledge brings me Jesus and His life-giving power. But only when I enter His presence and take time to listen.

When Peter, James and John went on the mountaintop with Jesus, they beheld Him in all His glory. We catch a glimpse of that glory when we sit at Christ's feet. But before we open our mouths like Peter--hardly knowing what we will say--we need to first listen to the Savior. You might be eager to talk first (like Peter) or to do big things for God. But before you head down the mountain or say one little word, listen to what our Father says. "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!" (Matthew 17:5) 

Those last 2 words say so much, don't they? Hear Him. Be quiet just now and listen to Jesus. As you read your Bible, listen for the Spirit's voice. He has a personal message for you in His Word. He wants to give you the life in that word. So before you jump up and race into your day, take time to linger and listen. What is God saying to you today? What is His deep purpose in what you just read? 

My Prayer

Dear Father in heaven, open my ears that I may behold wondrous things in Your Word. Slow me down to listen to all You want to say to me. Incline my ear to fully enter Your presence as we talk together, you and I. And may I say like Samuel, "speak Lord, for Your servant hears" (1 Samuel 3:9). In Jesus' name, I ask this, Amen.

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No One But YOU!

"Whom have I in heaven but You? 

And there is none on earth that I desire but You!" 

(Psalm 73:25)

The women of Samaria came with their pots to Jacob's well. Though they filled them to the brim each morning, the water was soon used up or evaporated under the sun's burning heat. But one day, when the sun had reached its zenith (not the normal hour for drawing water), one solitary woman came to the well. Sitting there was a stranger who offered her something better. Jesus offered her a drink, one that would fill her so completely that no ordinary water would satisfy her again. It was Living Water, a taste of the Lord Himself! Jesus knew that one sip would be enough. For it would change her thirsting heart into a well, bubbling over with salvation and bringing everlasting joy.

When you come with your 'water pot' to Jesus, He'll do the same for you. He'll give you Living Water for your dry and thirsting soul. And your well will never run dry because you'll always want more. And even if your love for Jesus is sweet, you'll never be satisfied til you see Him face to face.

The more I am with Jesus, the more I want Him. Isn't it the same when you're in love? When my husband and I were dating, we saw each other every day. Before I went to sleep at night, we spoke for hours on the phone. We shared love letters each morning, sharing our love and prayers. But it still wasn't enough! We longed to be husband and wife, so our love could be closer and more intimate. Shouldn't it be the same with Jesus? Heaven is too far away! We can't wait til then to enjoy sweet communion with our Lord!  Our hearts must embrace Him here. We must keep Him always before us, always in our thoughts, always in our prayers.

When we taste Christ's Living Water (in the Bible), nothing will be more important that this! He won't be a stranger at the well. He'll be the love of our lives! We'll want our water pots filled to the brim. So I come to the well each morning where He fills me up, "good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over" (Luke 6:38). Only then can I become a well of life, a source of never failing streams, reviving my heart and bringing revival to everyone around me.

The heart that has once tasted the love of Christ cries out continually for a deeper draft, and as you impart you will receive in richer and more abundant measure. Every revelation of God to the soul increases the capacity to know and to love. The continual cry of the heart is "More of Thee," and ever the Spirit's answer is "Much more!" (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, pg. 20).

My Prayer

Dear Father, Fill my heart to overflowing today. Give me that water so I can be Your fountain springing up into everlasting life (John 4:14). May your water fill me up and spill over the brim, so I can refresh others around me and bring them to Your well. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

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BE QUIET AND KNOW

"Now in the morning, having arisen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place, and there He prayed" (Mark 1:35).

A quiet time with Jesus is my favorite part of the day. No phones are ringing, no TV blaring. No one pulling on my sleeve. The house is still and I am still with it. Normally, I rush from one appointment to another. I think I get an adrenalin boost from a packed schedule. Life is activity, right? But along with the adrenalin rush comes a whole lot of distractions. My mind keeps in step with my hectic plans and it's not easy to slow down. Living in the fast lane gets in the way. When I finally wind down, it's easier to turn on the TV or plug into the computer than face the quiet alone.

But it's only when I'm still that I can give God my full attention. One of my favorite writers once said, "We must individually hear Him speaking to the heart. When every other voice is hushed and in quietness we wait before Him, the silence of the soul makes more distinct the voice of God" (Counsels on Health, pg. 163).

I have a lovely clock in our family room that's made from a shell from the Philippines. It makes a soft, ticking sound when I'm sitting there alone. But I can't hear it when the sirens screech or even when everyone's home and talking all at once. Only when the noise dies down can I hear its gentle ticking. How often it reminds me of Jesus! His voice is the ticking of a clock--quiet, but always there.

Each time I pass by that clock, I hear the lessons of my Quiet Time. The biggest lesson of all is I am here TO BE. Jesus has a work for me to do, but my biggest work is TO BE with Christ and be consecrated to Him. So I'm learning to slow down and quietly wait before Him. For "in returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength" (Isaiah 30:15).

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