And the LORD said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. … But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” (NIV)
Thanks to the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ, we can call God “Father.” We have the gift of eternal life with Him and are counted as brothers and sisters of Jesus Himself, Who calls us His friends. What extraordinarily intimate gifts! Yet we must never for one moment forget that God remains awesome and terrible.
On Mt. Sinai, Moses asked to see the glory of the Lord. God responded by saying that Moses could see His goodness and hear the divine name, but He warned him as well that there were parts of His nature that must remained hidden. How do we relate to a God Who calls us His friends and children and yet remains One before Whom we must live in reverent fear? (See 1 Peter 1:17)
We must be intimate with our Father, while never forgetting He is our Lord. We must go to Him in the moment of our needs, yet never address Him casually or with disrespect. We must approach our God with confidence in His faithfulness, yet humbly in acknowledgment of our weakness and His surpassing glory.
Almighty and glorious heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of being able to approach You any time, day or night, in any circumstance, through the intercession of Jesus Christ. Thank You, too, for the gift of Your Holy Spirit, Who intercedes when we lack even the words to speak. May my life be one of ongoing worship of Your majesty and grace. Truly, You are my Lord and my God. Amen.
Copyright © 2010 by Steven R. Perkins
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