Draw Near

A spider can make me hurt myself!  My family knows the look and cause of terror on my face, and they graciously take care of business.  Although everything within me screams “kill it,” nothing inside makes me go near it.  My legs take over and I flee the scene!

God desperately wants to be near His children.  For many people today, nearness exposes a particular vulnerability so they put up walls and barriers keeping a safe distance.  Read what Moses asked God: “Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You [progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with You, perceiving and recognizing and understanding more strongly and clearly] and that I may find favor in Your sight .. ” (Exodus 33:13, Amplified Bible)  Then, Moses says to The Almighty, “Please show me your glory.” (V.17)  Moses was already God’s man-of-the-hour, the one God spoke to “face to face, as a man speaks to his friend” (33:11) yet Moses sought the LORD more progressively, deeply, and intimately.  By His response, we know God loved it, “ I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name 'The LORD.' … The LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. (33:17 & 34:5-7)  Just how much of the LORD’S richness do you imagine we miss in just one 24-hour period?  For sure, in all our busyness we fail to see-hear-experience the fullness of His favor.  I doubt I’ll ever stop running from spiders, but may it be that I pursue Elohim (God, Mighty Creator), and with David call out as “deep calls to deep” (Psalm 42:7) to draw near.