“PLEASE SHOW ME YOUR GLORY!”

Exodus 33:17-25                (ESV)

“17 And the LORD said to Moses, "This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in MY sight, and I know you by name."

18 Moses said, "PLEASE SHOW ME YOUR GLORY."

19 And HE said, "I will make all MY goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you MY name 'The LORD.' And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.

20 But," he said, "you cannot see MY face, for man shall not see ME and live."

21 And the LORD said, "Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock,

22 and while MY GLORY passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with MY hand until I have passed by.

23 Then I will take away MY hand, and you shall see MY back, but MY face shall not be seen." “

If I could just get just a small fraction of a glimpse of the majesty of GOD’s Glory, I’m certain that my choices in life would be different.  It seems that MY EYES are set on the things of “this world” instead of reflecting HIS Glory.  It is quite easy to elevate our own selfish desires ahead of HIS Plan and Purpose for our lives.  Moses and the Children of Israel were following the LORD (Pillar of Cloud by day and Pillar of Fire by night) so it doesn’t surprise me that Moses desired to know HIM more intimately.  His request was  "PLEASE SHOW ME YOUR GLORY”, and GOD complied, but only to Glorify HIS OWN NAME!  Also, GOD would not totally expose HIMSELF to Moses, because  “you cannot see MY face, for man shall not see ME and live.”

Why then do we give the impression that we have all of the answers to the problems that arise on our journey through this life?  Being afraid of NOT having the answers should be a badge of honor, but “this world” wants us to believe that we have to overcome adversity and be STRONG!  But how can someone be STRONG when they are diagnosed with a terminal disease?  By trusting in ALMIGHTY GOD is the easiest way that I know of.  Moses observed “MY back” after GOD had covered him with “MY hand” and he still glowed for days, maybe weeks, afterwards because of GOD’s Glory.   And we go into our “worship service” at church visiting and talking with our neighbors because we want to be accepting and accepted!  All the while, we should be like Moses BEGGING GOD to “PLEASE SHOW ME YOUR GLORY”!!!

It might be the reason ALMIGHTY GOD doesn’t display HIS GLORY like HE has previously is we are so interested in “following the order of worship” according to our bulletin and being the first to get to our favorite restaurant after church that we aren’t interested in seeing HIS Glory?  Moses pleaded with GOD to “PLEASE SHOW ME YOUR GLORY”, causing my thoughts to go back to when GOD “broke” me and I was begging for help!  Moses didn’t just ask as a second thought, I believe he asked for ALMIGHTY GOD to do something as a sign for the children of Israel to KNOW that he had been in GOD’s Presence!  The results were unmistakably successful!  

It is my desire to reflect JESUS so clearly that others will want to be around me because of the LIGHT that I exhibit.  Being at a celebration this weekend of a mentor and friend who GOD has blessed me through a relationship over the past several years reminds me of how I want to be remembered.  When I met my friend, I called my wife from my car and told her that “I felt like I had been in the presence of JESUS”!   Why do people not say the same about me?  My life is supposed to be crucified with CHRIST? Perhaps I am reflecting too much of the “natural man” and not of HIM?  “PLEASE SHOW ME YOUR GLORY” needs to be my goal in life, but only so others can SEE HIM in me.