TCN's Biblical Journey Jan 23

Today's readings are from Exodus 31-35

Exodus 33

A friend of mine has said, “When the student is ready the teacher will appear.” The phrase seems true yet part of me wonders if that's all there is. When it comes to spiritual matters Jesus made it clear that if we seek God with our whole hearts we will, not maybe, find him. In the scripture today in Exodus 33, Moses asks God to teach him His ways so that he, Moses, can know God and continue to please God. The student here is ready and God answers.

Then I considered where we are. Do we really want to know God’s ways? Do we really want to know him? The answer I know should be YES, but at times I think part of me prays the prayer of St. Augustine “Lord, make me chaste, but not yet.”

You see the teacher is ready, but many times we aren’t. The greatest way we can learn the ways of God is reading scripture (prayer and  Bible studies are right up there too). The tools are there, the teacher is there. We can know God better, but will we move? Will we push through the hard parts and sometimes the not exciting parts? Before God revealed himself to Moses here in a new way, but first Moses had to chisel out two tablets of stone. I have to guess this wasn’t exciting or fun work, let alone quick, but afterward, God revealed Himself to Moses in a way which so changed him that his face shone like the sun.

In the next two weeks, we face some of the most difficult passages in the Bible to read, Leviticus and Numbers. It will be like chiseling stone for many, but the rewards if faithful, I believe will be worth it.

One last note, Moses realized the way to keep pleasing God was to know him better. It’s true for us as well, the only way we can continue to please God is to know him better. The words Charles Dickens gave to the ghost of Christmas Present ring in my mind, “Come near and know me better, man.” I can’t help but think this is the call of God as well.

So, let’s draw near and know Him better...