SCRIPTURE: The people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” Exodus 20:18-19 ESV
THOUGHT: They stand at the foot of a mountain. It belches fire and smoke, shaking with thunder and trumpet blasts. God is concerned they will get too close and die so gives specific instructions to protect them (19:12, 21, 24); but that is not the issue. Incredibly, they shrink back instead, terrified of the same God who delivers from slavery, scatters food from heaven, and provides protection. They plead for someone else to listen to God’s voice, and even sadder, by chapter 32, they declare independence, seeking a different God—and a different leader—they can control.
I can’t get this story out of my mind because Israel’s choices echo through history into my life. Will I dare draw near this extraordinary God? Will I put myself in a position to listen, and let God speak? Will I come near, learning to depend on a God who says he will come near to me (Js. 4:8); or will I assert independence and miss his presence?
The writer of Hebrews says God’s soul takes no pleasure in one who shrinks back (Heb. 10:38). But there is an opposing truth to that: when we decide to draw near by faith, we bring pleasure, perhaps joy to the very soul of God. I want to declare my dependence; to stop, listen, and draw near to the God I cannot control.
PRAYER: Oh Great God, I want to draw near. To pursue you as you have pursued me. I want to move, unafraid, to the places you have invited me.
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Blogger Amy Clemens is the author of Walking When You’d Rather Fly: Meditations on Faith After the Fall. In it she explores childhood sexual abuse and how it impacted her faith (or lack thereof) for four decades. You’ll find not only her story, but better yet, the Big Story of God.
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