God’s Presence Above All

​Moses said to the Lord , “See, you say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.” And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?”

Exodus 33:12‭-‬16 ESV

This conversation of Moses with God was the aftermath of Israelites falling into idolatry. In previous verses, God said that He would no longer be with them going to the promised land. And once more, Moses interceded for his people.

I admire Moses’ heart for the Lord and his people. This tells me that God really knows how to call the right people for the job. Omniscient that He is, God knew that the Israelites would sin against Him and how Moses would seek His glory and presence. As a reader of the Scripture, I began to thank and praise God for the life of Moses and the task He had appointed to him. A lot of interaction of Moses with God reveals how we should regard and approach our Lord.

Indeed, this passage highlighted how important the presence of the Lord to be in all our endeavors. The things we accomplish are senseless if it is just us and God has no part on achieving them. For Moses, their inheritance of the promised land was not the real blessing, it was the presence of God. They could have gone and conquered the promised land on their own but without God personally with them, Moses knew they would be restless and be just another ordinary nation.

As I reflect, thanks be to Jesus who continually intercedes for me, making my prayers acceptable to our Father in heaven, for He also sends the Holy Spirit as His presence to guide me and give me peace. ❤❤❤

Soli Deo Gloria!

-Rhia

Pray Like Moses

​But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.'” And the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.

Exodus 32:11‭-‬14 ESV

This pleading of Moses to God happened after Israelites fell into idolatry. God was about to take his wrath upon the Israelites. But Moses implored on his people to be spared from disaster and God listened. It got me to thinking God knew what was all about to happen – the frailties of His people into idolatry, Moses interceding and His relenting from giving the punishment. Given that nothing surprises the Lord or hidden to His knowledge, it only showed how loving, gracious and merciful God is, who keeps His promise from generation to generation. God had every reason to put His judgment upon His people but He remembered those (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) who were faithful to Him and honored His word to them.

Moreover, this passage depicted a relational God. Moses’ statements used to appeal to God were bold, passionate and deeply personal. Moses sure would not be able to utter those words if God saw their relationship only as master and servant. Instead, the relationship felt more like of an intimate friendship or even more like that of a father and son’s, which one can be free and very open to say what is on his mind and what he feels.

Praise God that He is the same God yesterday, today and tomorrow! That whenever I pray thru Jesus, our Eternal Father in heaven listens. And I am thankful that God answers my prayers not because I convince Him but because He is sovereign and nothing is hidden from Him, thus, every answered prayer is a sure victory. Finally, this motivates me to pour out my emotions every time I pray, the same way as Moses, to hold no bar and be personal because my God willingly listens and welcomes me to a relationship with Him.

Soli Deo Gloria!

-Rhia

Whom Do We Really Place Our Faith?

​When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord .” And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.

Exodus 32:1‭-‬6 ESV

Clearly, this passage tells that this generation of Israelites did not have a personal relationship with God that’s why they easily slide back to the culture of the Egyptians -idol worship. Indeed, it was Moses whom they were following and placed their faith to and not God. When Moses was out of their sight for 40 days, they started to create their own god and forgot the God who brought them out of their slavery.

Therefore, it is important for believers to ensure that their faith is on God alone not with people or organizations. People change and make mistakes so if our belief in God is anchored on them, when they disappoint us then our walk with the Lord gets jeopardized.

So, I’m always reminding myself that the reason I love my Christian friends and the church I belong to is because of Jesus, not the other way around. My faith is on and depends only on Jesus. Afterall, Jesus is the Author and Perfector of our faith. If in case I don’t see my Christian friends much or in the future God will ask me to leave my current church to go somewhere, I should be okay because who I follow is Jesus and He will not let go. ❤❤❤

Soli Deo Gloria!

-Rhia

PS:

Happy to be back with my quiet time after a busy and stressful day at work. It seems so long since the last time I read and reflect on the Word. I am thankful to God that He planted this eagerness to medidate on His Word and the delight of sharing them consistently. God knows how consistently inconsistently I am. Being able to keep up this spiritual discipline is an answered prayer. Praise be to God!!! 😇😇😇

When God Commands, He Directs And Equips

​The Lord said to Moses, “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you:

Exodus 31:1‭-‬6 ESV

This passage is part of the book of Exodus when God gave instructions to Moses on how to build the tabernacle and its furnitures. The instructions were so detailed that as a reader sometimes I feel it is very difficult to follow and absorb what I am reading. Then I came across with Oholiab and Bezalel being appointed as workers. So far in this chapter, there are no background on the lives of these two other than God giving them that ability to construct the tabernacle and their paternal and tribal lineage. Yet, this allowed me to reflect on God and how He works with His people.

First, aside from giving detailed instruction, He also pointed Moses to the right people. I just could not imagine how long it will take Moses to find these people if God provided only their names without the familial background. There were 600,000 men who left Egypt during exodus, adding the wives and children the population of Israelites may be somewhere close to 2 millions. Locating 2 people sure be daunting task if God had not given more information.

Second, it is amazing how He equiped the people He called to do what He commanded. Not only He filled them with ability, intelligence, knowledge and all craftsmanship but also with His Spirit. How a person would not succeed if he has all these things given by God?

Learning all these thru the passage, motivates me to cooperate and follow what He is asking me to do. I know that His directions will be clear for me to understand and He will provide the abilities I need to carry out His will as His presence will also be upon me.

As with my effort to read the Bible from cover-to-cover this year, it still fascinates me everyday how I am able to write my reflections during my quiet time, let alone prioritize quiet time as I start and end my days. All I know is that none of this is possible if God would not have given me the wisdom and eagerness to know Him thru the Scripture which allows me to honor Christ thru it. Thank You Lord!!! ❤❤❤

Soli Deo Gloria!

-Rhia