PROTECTED FROM GOD'S GLORY, LEST....

July 01, 2009

PROTECTED FROM GOD'S GLORY, LEST....

Can you imagine standing on a mountain top and seeing God in all His glory? Can you comprehend such a moment? A moment where you actually hear God's voice? Witness a transfiguration?!

I've had some glorious moments in the Lord. Truly glorious. I've been a part of revivals in two little country churches where over a dozen people were saved and the tongues of men and women were loosed in public confession of sin and repentance and reconciliation for hours. Glorious! Only the Spirit of the Living God could have produced such all-encompassing joy. I want to see that again.

"Then Moses said, 'I pray You, show me Your glory." Exodus 32:27.

And God did. Moses couldn't look on God's face or he would have died.

"Then the Lord said, 'Behold there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen." Exodus 32:21-23 [Emphasis mine]

Can you imagine? God puts Moses in the cleft of the rock and covers him with His hand. Physically. Held in place by God. Shielded from His perfect glory. And Moses got to look at God's back. What a marvelous, amazing thing to experience. Yet, God's glory is so beyond anything we could possibly understand or experience in our human form, that God cannot let us see all of it. He must protect us from His glory. If we were to see it, we'd surely die.

I have never seen God, but I've seen His manifested glory in His creation. I've felt His love when my son died and knew His presence in a way I cannot begin to explain. I know I was in the cleft of His Rock and covered with His hand. And I will never, ever forget the peace God gave me in that moment. My soul looks forward to the day I will see Christ face to face. Can you imagine? Show us Your glory, Lord, as we can each absorb it, as we can comprehend it. Show us Your glory. selahV

[copyrighted, SelahV Today, June 2008, reprinted 2009]

Posted at 03:17 PM in GOD'S GLORY, GOD'S MAJESTY. PROTECTION | Permalink

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Good post selahv. I have to admit to some jealousy of those who like Moses have "seen God's glory." Be it selfish or not I have prayed that prayer and have been left with empty hands so to speak. I am in one of those modes right now when I would love to get a glimpse of His glory and know that I am where I need to be. Maybe it is a different thing...I don't know. I remember Charles Stanley once preaching and telling about someone came forward and told him what God has been doing in his life and Charles said when it was all over he went to his office and said, "What about me God? What about me?" I feel the same way. But then again maybe I would come to rely too much on the "glory part" and less on the "presence part."

Posted by: bill (cycleguy) | July 02, 2009 at 03:08 AM

Bill, thanks so much for sharing part of your heart with me. I've been there myself. Sometimes it is when we least expect it that God shows up with that powerful display of glory. And when He does, you won't come to rely on it. You'll bask in it and remember it in the darker moments, the quieter moments of your life. Like now. May God so manifest Himself unto you that you are filled beyond measure with His glory and grace. With all my heart I ask this for you...(and a few other ministers I'm thinking of right now.) selahV

Posted by: selahV | July 02, 2009 at 03:20 AM

Dear SelahV:
Tell your husband what a blessing you are to him. I have to laugh about some of the things you blog, esp., those I see on SBC voices. I hve never had the experience of such a revival, but I have had the experience of a visitation one morning that lasted for a solid half hour. The Lord was present. He was invisible, and it was more real than any vision our dream I have had of HIm. I was converted by a vision/hallucination (?). I don't know which. How can any one tell. Then I have seen Him in dreams, and once I heard His voice speaking to me in my mind. There was no doubt as to who it was. Now I do not buy any revelation out side of Holy Scripture. I do buy visitations as long as they confom to the Book. for 36 of my 51+ yrs as a believer I have been praying for a great awakening. One of thse days, it must come as God has promised to fill this earth with His knowledge and glory as the waters that cover the sea.(Isa.11:9; Hab.2:14) What a revival that will be!

Posted by: Dr. James illingham | July 02, 2009 at 12:43 PM

Good morning Dr. Willingham, I told my husband and he agrees with you. :)

I'm glad I add some amusement to your day with my comments. Life is entirely to short to be grumpy.

Indeed, I have experienced similar moments of God's glory and love every second of those moments. I hunger for Him in all of His fullness...and I do believe it is in my times of sorrow for my sin or my losses in life that He shows Himself most fully.

Thank you so much for stopping by and visiting me. You are very gracious to have done so. selahV

Posted by: selahV | July 03, 2009 at 08:06 AM

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DAILY IMPACT Devotionals

TERRORS OF THE NIGHT
It doesn't have to be a monster at your door keeping you awake. It doesn't have to be a thief with a gun. It doesn't have to be an approaching tornado, or a rising river. It doesn't even have to be an attack on your heart, nor a life-threatening disease. Terrors in the night are anything that robs you of peace. They may waken you with a dream. Like a thunder crash or lightning flash. They chase your thoughts from place to place and whisper words of accusation. They keep sleep in a chokehold and will not let you rest. They remind you of your failings. They taunt you with doubt and offer futility and hopelessness with situations you are facing. Terrors in the night. They are real. Yet... "You shall not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor of the arrow ( the evil plots and slanders of the wicked) that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor of the destruction and sudden death that surprise and lay waste at noonday." Psalm 91:5,6. "You shall not be afraid." Why? "Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place." Ps. 91:9 I have a little secret that helps me get back to sleep in the midst of a dark night of demonic attack and oppression. Whenever that happens to me, and I am not a stranger to the realms of darkness enveloping my mind and trying to crush my spirit, I go to the Word. Literally. I take my Bible and I lay it upon my chest and pray. I cling to the Word and all the promises within it that may not even be clear in my mind. I begin to pray for others who have difficulties. I pray for missionaries in foreign lands who face incredible dangers. I pray for pastors under attack. I pray for battered wives, and bereaved mothers. I pray for anyone and everyone the Lord calls to my mind. For He has given His angels charge over me to accomplish and defend and preserve me in all my ways of obedience and service. (Ps.91:11) I feel the pleasant pressure of my Bible against my heart and know that God is all-sufficient to meet my needs and those of ones I love and have committed unto His care. And then I sleep. selahV [copyrighted, SelahV Today, 2008]
FEARLESS CONFIDENCE
~~~~~~~~~~ Discouragement sits on every corner. It lurks in the shadows of joy, waiting for the opportune time to jump out of the darkness and wipe out all the goodness in a moment's achievement, success, or blessing. It's sole purpose is to impede forward progress. It is born of negative thinking and leads to apathy and uselessness. Many times discouragement is carried into the rooms of our hearts by friends who linger too long at the well of negativity. But we need to take heart and not allow it to attach itself to our lives and destroy our confidence, hope, and faith. "Do not, therefore, fling away your fearless confidence, for it carries a great and glorious compensation of reward." Hebrews 10:35 Our confidence can be thwarted and our courage quelled when we allow the stones of discouragement and arrows of despair to penetrate the armor of God. We must hold fast and cling to our fearless confidence in the Redeemer and Protector of our faith. He sits on His throne and His enemies are His footstool. Nothing can harm us, nor override His plan for our lives when we rest in His presence and power. selahV [copyrighted, SelahV Today, 2008]
WHEN OTHERS HURT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It seems there are many many folks who are either hurting or know someone who is hurting. And for all the wisdom, resources and desire we have, we cannot do a thing about the hurting. We sit in our worlds and ponder our usefulness. We contemplate the call of believers to reach out to brothers and sisters who need us. We long to make the difference in their lives and know we cannot. We feel an emptiness that contradicts the hope in our minds. Yet, we cling to the faith within us that we will persevere, and those we love will endure. Then we pray without ceasing for the needs in our lives and recall the promises of God. In the difficulty of the day, we wrestle with principalities and realms of darkness and implore the Lord for assistance. We seek our Lord on our knees in brokenness and shame, we raise our voices in wordless prayer. Our Spirit makes intercession for us. Then we commit ourselves and our concerns to Him once again. "For I know Whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I've committed unto Him against that day." Pause and think about it. I believe God brings us to these desert times to remind us of our only need--HIM. Our rest is in Him. Our hope is in Him. Our love is in Him. Our future is in Him. Our provision is in Him. And He will keep all that I commit to Him any time I bring it to Him. And He will fill up my soul with His refreshment and grant me His peace which the world cannot give. Grace, grace, marvelous grace; a grace that is greater than all my sin. Sufficient is our Lord. selahV [copyrighted, SelahV Today, 2008]
WILL YOU PRAY THIS PRAYER FOR ME?~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“For this reason we also from the day we heard of it, have not ceased to pray and make [special request] for you, [asking] that you may be filled with the full (deep and clear) knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom [in comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God] and in understanding and discernment of spiritual things— that you may walk (live and conduct yourselves) in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him and desiring to please HIm in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing and increasing in and by the knowledge of God [with fuller, deeper, and clearer insight, acquaintance, and recognition]. [We pray] that you may be invigorated and strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory, [to exercise] every kind of endurance and patience (perseverance and forbearance) with joy, Giving thanks to the Father….” Colossians 1:9-12a. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to know someone was praying like that for you? For your loved ones? For your church members? For your pastor? What a wonderful way to pray! Shall we start today? selahV ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HOW ARE YOU KNOWN?
Today there are folks who know you. They only know you by what you write, how you act and interact with others. They only know you by your words, your behavior–your reputation. What do they know? How are you known? When I read the passage below from Romans, I paused and thought about what Paul is saying: “First, I thank God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because [the report of] your faith is made known to all the world and is commended everywhere.” Romans 1:8. Wouldn’t it be the most amazing thing to have someone commend you in this way? To have such a faith that the report of it honors your Lord all over the world? When you write, do you think of this? When you talk to others, do you keep this in mind? When you begin your week, do you even consider how you are known to all the world–or your portion of it? These are questions we might all ponder today. selahV

SelahV Today

July 01, 2009