Leaving Egypt Behind

Scripture: Exodus: 33:11a, Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend.

There is a part of me, Lord, that yearns with envy at this meeting. To speak to You fully as a friend; to share, to laugh, to cry, to listen. To know Your word, Your counsel, Your wisdom with such detail, that in any given situation, I would know instinctively what You would say. To be a part of Your plans, to be trusted to know Your intentions, Your inner most thoughts.

Then a part of me shrinks in awe that Moses could stand before You with such confidence, listening to Your voice, committed to Your requests, in the presence of Your glory. Once You walked in the garden with Adam and Eve, before their disobedience, and spoke with them. They listened for Your voice and experienced the warmth of conversation with You. When they still knew no sin. And when sin entered, they hid from Your voice. There is sin hidden so deep in me I cannot recognize it, so how could I hear You speak to me as a friend? Like a startled rabbit, I would run askew, searching for my own hiding place.

“No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.” Jesus speaks to each of us as a friend, face to face. Inviting us into His plans, inviting us into dialogue.

O Lord, please give me the courage to come to You and listen to Your voice.

Psalm of Worship: Psalm 9:10

And those who know Thy name will put their trust in Thee;

For Thou, O Lord, hast not forsaken those who seek Thee.