I'm in Nicaragua now, by the way. I feel like I can barely keep up with myself, much less this here blog!
The cry of my heart lately has been for God to show me His glory. To have an encounter with Him as Moses did on Mount Sinai.
I've been chewing over verses in Exodus 33 where it says, "...the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend" (vs. 11).
And of course verses 18 and 19, "Moses said, 'Please show me your glory.' And he said, 'I will make my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name.' "
I want to have that kind of intimacy with the Lord. I want to speak to Him face to face. I want to dwell in His presence. I want to see more of who He is.
And the other day, He gave me a glimpse.
The ministry I am currently serving with alongside team Shekinah reaches out to the prostitutes of Managua, providing them a way out with a program they have created that meets their needs spiritually, physically, and emotoinally. Its legit, people, let me tell you. Anyways, the other morning we were sitting with some of the women in this program who had been taken out of prostitution having a Bible study and worship time.
And then He spoke to me, "I am here."
The glory of the Almighty God had permeated that moment.
His presence was thick.
And it was coming from these women.
I could see Him in their eyes. In their smiles. In how tightly they held their Bibles as the Word of Life it is to their weary souls. I could see Him in their laughter, the shame and guilt sliding off of them from their former life. I could feel Him in their hugs, embracing me as a dearly loved sister even though we just met and I can barely pronounce their name. I could hear Him in their worship, praising Jesus from the depths of their hearts. These women were radiant, like Moses was after every encounter with the Lord.
And I almost missed it.
When it comes to the glory of God, I can so easily get caught up in expecting the extravagant. Like Elijah on the mountain, looking for God in the earthquake and fire. Thats not bad, necessarily, but in doing so you can so easily miss the gentle whispers and subtle revelations. And He he was. In the simple yet deeply profound. So brilliantly manifested in these women who, by the worlds standards, would not be considered worthy. But He sees them as worthy. He sees all of us as worthy. For by the grace of the new covenant we are each God's temple and His Spirit dwells inside of us. We each carry within us the presence of the Living God.
These are no mere women I am sitting with. These are holy women, set apart, and the King of kings reigns within them. Every day I get to talk to God face to face as I talk to His people. I get to see a new side of Him in those around me. Don't get me wrong, I'll never turn down a mountaintop experience like what Moses had when the Lord passed by, but until then, I will tune my ears to the soft whispers and train my eyes to see the unseen majesties. If I dont', I'll miss so much. I'll be robbed of basking in the glory of His presence that surounds me this present moment.
Such heavenly beauty is waiting to be revealed in the world around us, if only we'd open our eyes to see it.
Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
