Glimpses of Glory
Dave Faust
At breakfast with a couple of men the other day, we laughed about dumb things we have said over the years. The conversation led us to observe that Jesus’ original disciples occasionally said some dumb things, too. It’s not hard to list several ill-advised comments they made to the Lord.
Wise Prayers
Moses wasn’t perfect, either, but he said some very intelligent things to God that we would be wise to say as well.
“If your presence doesn’t go with us, do not send us up from here” (Exodus 33:15). Moses realized that if God isn’t leading the way, it’s foolish to move forward. How can you and I be like a burning bush that stays on fire but isn’t consumed? Only if the Lord’s presence is with us.
“Now show me your glory” (33:18). This time Moses’ request was almost over the top. How can human eyes behold the limitless glory of God? The Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you . . . . When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen” (33:19, 22, 23).
Evidently a glimpse was all Moses could handle. Viewing God’s back was like seeing the afterglow of the sun after it sets, or estimating the size of a ship by the magnitude of the wake it leaves behind. Yet, “Show me your glory” is a smart prayer. If we open our eyes, we can catch glimpses of God’s glory every day.
We can see it when hiking in the mountains, walking on the beach, and reading our Bibles. We can experience it in a grandchild’s hug and an aging saint’s handshake. We can see God’s glory on the face of a new believer emerging from the baptistery. We can taste it in the Communion bread and juice. We can hear it in the reassuring prayer of an elder, and in a new Christian’s enthusiastic testimony. Hearts attuned to the glory of God sense it in beautiful music and art, outstanding athletic plays, satisfying work, and conversations among friends.
Yes, we say and do dumb things, but Christ came to earth for flawed, foolish folks like us. Walking with him, we catch glimpses of glory even greater than Moses enjoyed. “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).
QUESTIONS:
This column first appeared in The Lookout on Feb 15, 2015.
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