Finding Favor With God
Exodus 33:13
“If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”
Moses found himself wandering in the wilderness for forty years, not because of anything he had done wrong, but because of the majority of the people and a bad decision they had made. He follows the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. He answers questions and deals with problems seven days a week from morning to night. I have dealt with pressures in life but not anything like what Moses lived with! Dealing with the pressure of life was hard, and here Moses decides he needs a refreshing in his soul.
I always find it intriguing how the heroes of the faith are the ones who pray this type of prayer. David, the man God said was after His own heart, prayed for renewal in his heart. Paul, given the work of missionary to the world, prays for grace and for more faith. Moses, the one who had to have answers to every question, asks for better knowledge of God’s ways.
We need to pray one of these prayers from time to time. In the week leading up to Easter I was reminded over and over of what Christ has done for us and the huge price He paid for us. So I am not in any doubt about where I stand in His eyes. He loves me and I am saved and promised eternal life. But it is a good thing to take a moment and ask God for renewal. Renewing our connection with God is always a good idea.
The guys mentioned above knew where their strength came from. They knew where their wisdom came from. They also knew what happens when we strike out in our own strength. Each had seen how impulsive decisions had brought them into bad situations where they had to plead with God to get them out of their mistakes.
I had to learn that it was better to walk with God then to demand He walk with me. “Oh Lord! I know You hear me! Go before me and open doors for me and protect me wherever I go!” I’ve learned that it’s safer to pray, “Lead me where You want me to go.” I had this come home to me a few months ago. My wife and I went to a small church near our house one Sunday to visit. We had heard a little about this small church, most of it bad, and went to visit because there was a new pastor. That night, as I began to pray for the pastor of the church where we were members, I saw the face of this new pastor. I tried to pray for the Sunday school teachers of our church and what I saw were the empty pews of the little church we visited. This happened again Monday and it happened again Tuesday. By Wednesday night I was thinking God was trying to tell me something. I could not pray for my pastor because every time I tried I saw the face of this other pastor. I spoke to my wife and she revealed it was happening to her also. Our pastor graciously released us and we went to the small church. I was quickly convinced we are where God wants us. We let God lead us where He wanted us to go rather than give Him the benefit of my wisdom and tell Him where I should go.
Nothing should be more important in your Christian walk than keeping a good connection with God. Everything you do depends on His strength and His grace and His mercy. Blessings in your life flow from Him and prayers are answered by His power. So praying regularly and meditating on His Word makes sense, right?
I get nervous praying the first part of Moses’ prayer – “if You are pleased with me…- because I know no good thing lives in me. Easter made God’s throne open to me so I need to remember that I can pray to God without hesitation. God has invited me right into His living room and wants me to say what’s on my heart. When I pray I tell Him my hopes and my fears and my needs and my wants and I have confidence that He hears me. We have an awesome God!
Stephen Cram April 7, 2013 Colossians 2:8
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men according to the rudiments of the world, and not in accordance with Christ.
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