Week 32 Day 2
Pray:
Ask God to reorient you to Himself. Confess any known sin. Thank Him for His forgiveness. Be still and reflect on Jesus and His sacrifice for you. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart and mind to God’s Word. Pray for others in your life that they, too, would know and love God today.
Read:
Ex. 33:1-20 The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent. Moses said to the LORD, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.” The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?” And the LORD said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” And the LORD said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”
Reflect:
Does God speak to people? If so, which people? Special ones, such as Moses, or normal ones like you and me? Some believe that God speaks to them about everything and they will wait on him before making virtually any decision. This is not healthy or balanced. Some believe God never speaks to them and, consequently, even if he were to do so they would discount it as other than a message from God. The Bible assumes that God speaks to his people. The primary way he speaks is through the Bible. But he speaks in other ways as well – through other people, through circumstances, and at times directly to us in our “hearts.” We say “heart” because we are not quite sure where it is on the “inside” of us that we hear him speak. “Heart” in the Bible is the “thinking, choosing, willing” part of us. It is the center of our being as human beings. So we are to love God with all of our “hearts” and we are to “guard our hearts” above all else. Our hearts are to be wrapped around God in a way that what we most want is what he wants. God spoke to Moses face to face as a man speaks to a friend. Of course, Moses was not perfect so perfection is not a condition for this kind of relationship with God. However, Moses was humble. His humility was a part of his awareness of his great need. His great need made him dependent on God. His dependence on God led him to obey God, even when it was hard and seemed beyond him. Do you want God to speak to you? You must have a heart that is fully is. Not perfection in every action, but perfection in its overall direction. You must continually surrender to his will and ways. This is your part. When you have a heart that is oriented around him, you will have a heart that is prepared to hear him speak. You are prepared to hear God speak when you are prepared to respond to what he might say. In your “heart” what are you saying to God? “Tell me what I want to hear” or “tell me what you want to say and I will hear it”?
Pray:
(Personalize this prayer today; make it specific to the circumstances that face you.)
Ask God to lead you through His Spirit as you go through your day. Ask Him to bring to mind the truth of the gospel and its implications for what you will encounter today. Tell Him “Yes” to His will and ask Him for His power and protection to live this “yes.” Ask God to create and reveal opportunities to proclaim the good news today.