Today marks a first for Glorious Daughters, as it is the first guest post on the blog! That's right, y'all get to hear from someone other than me! :P A few weeks back, one of y'all asked about having an article on prayer, the way we talk to God. So for this one, Miss Julia Walker has kindly agreed to share the thoughts God has given her on the matter. Miss Julia has been my teacher for so many things (early elementary school, sign language, VBS, Sunday School, and there's probably something else I'm forgetting :P ), and I truly believe God has given her a gift for explaining things, including the biblical truths, to both older and younger kids in a way that they resonates with them. But, without further rambling from me, I'll turn it on over to her! Exodus 33:9-11 ... Moses... stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses... and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man at his tent door. And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle. I remember when I first started to get to know my, now, best friend. I thought she was really nice, but because I am shy, I hesitated to talk with her. Sometime after that, her husband got deployed and she invited me over for dinner. At the time, she had two girls who were quite young. When I arrived, she had already fed them and was putting them to bed. As we sat at her table, we talked and ate spaghetti. Then we moved out to her living room and continued our conversation. At times when it grew silent, I remember feeling a little nervous, trying to think of something else to say. Now, when we get together, rare are those quiet moments! But, even when they arise, there are no nerves. Why? I know she loves me and she knows I love her (I hope ;) ). Let's think about part of the verses quoted at the beginning. Exodus 33:11a, "And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend." Did God always speak this way with Moses? No. The first time we find a conversation between these two in Exodus 3, the Bible records in verse 6 that "Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God." In this chapter, we find that God even had to tell Moses His Name, I AM (verse 14). I AM had a task for Moses, a task that would require Moses to depend upon Him for everything. By the beginning of chapter 5, Moses had enough confidence in the Lord, he was willing to stand in front of Pharaoh to demand things contrary to the leading Egyptian's desire. Exodus 15 finds Moses praising the Lord for deliverance. The relationship continued to blossom as time and again, Moses returned to the Lord, pleading for the children of Israel. Exodus 24:17-18 shows a fellowship that few have known. "And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel. And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights." Even as tight-knit as these two were, Moses still had yet to see the Lord with his eyes. By chapter 33, verse 18, his curiosity got the better of him. "And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory." Exodus 33:20-23, "And he 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 clift of the rock, and I will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen." Wow! What a privilege to see the Lord while still here on earth! I trust each of us desire to have this type relationship with the Lord. And it is possible! Acts 10:34 tells us, "God is no respecter of persons." Basically meaning, God doesn't pick favorites. Before we can grow any relationship, though, we must have one. If you have even one question concerning your relationship with God, please do not hesitate to contact Glorious Daughters. It would be our delight to help you! For those of us who do know Christ as Savior, it is vital that we grow in our relationship with our Father. You may wonder, "How can I have a relationship with Him as meaningful as Moses?" Please recall the beginning story. For me to develop a relationship with my, now, best friend, we had to start somewhere. I had to tell her my name, and she had to tell me hers. Remember how I said I became nervous when there was no conversation, but that it doesn't affect me anymore? The more we were around each other, the more comfortable conversation became. I encourage you to think of your relationship with Christ much the same way. Each day as you spend time with the Lord, I encourage you to start by thanking Him for things. Praise Him for some of His attributes (characteristics). Read your Bible, and stop to think about what you are reading. As God speaks to your heart, talk with Him about it, whether it be needing to confess sin or otherwise. Read more, pray more. Throughout your day, as situations arise, talk with Him about it. And though, at first, it may seem awkward, as your relationship grows, the more meaningful it will become. My Pastor recently gave the illustration our former Pastor gave him. Anytime you have a conversation with someone, it goes back and forth. It's not just one person's turn to speak then the other's turn, and conversation is over. Period. In the same sense, when we read our Bible (God talking with us) and pray (us talking with God), let it be a two way conversation! One thing that sometimes bothers me is that I do not feel as eloquent as many others; however, 1 Samuel 16:7b comforts me. It says, "the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart." The Lord is not concerned with the frilly words. He desires my heart to be clean so I might have fellowship with Him. As I desire to have a more meaningful relationship, He knows and He answers. James 4:8 says, "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you." Just as Moses' relationship with the Lord grew, take note of another relationship that had begun. Direct your attention back to the last key verse, this time, the second part. Exodus 33:11b, "And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle." Moses was an example that Joshua followed. At this point, Moses was up in years. Yet, there was a young man to follow his shadow. When Moses left the tabernacle, Joshua stayed. He saw the value of a close relationship with his God. Even back then, it wasn't popular to draw nigh unto God. According to verse 10, everyone else saw it was good enough to worship from their tent door. Joshua craved more! We don't even know the names of those who stayed at their tents to worship. Joshua was used to conquer the Promised Land! This being a blog for young people, I implore each of you to crave more. Don't just stay at the tent door with your peers. Get to the tabernacle during your devotions, and see God's hand move in your life! Is there anything you'd like to share that has helped you have better, more meaningful, or more frequent conversations with God? Are there any other topics that you'd like to see covered on the blog? (Even if I'm not equipped to write on the topic, I can pray about asking another guest poster!)
Also, if you'd like to hop over and complete the "Get To Know You" quizzes from last week's post, this week is your last chance to do that before, Lord willing, I post all the answers next week! I've already heard from a couple of y'all, but we'd love to hear from more. (And, yes, you older adults are absolutely welcome to fill it out too! :D).
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