I wonder what it will be like to finally see God, as best we can?!
Scripture tells us of revelations and visions of God as “a form that had the appearance of a man. Below what appeared to be his waist was fire, and above his waist was something like the appearance of brightness, like gleaming metal.” (Ezekiel 8:2-3)
Jacob wrestled with God and called the place Peniel, meaning ‘the face of God,’ and then said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.” (Genesis 32:30)
Moses asked to see God’s glorious Presence, and the Lord replied, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, Yahweh, before you. For I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose. But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live.” (Exodus 33:19-20)
I can’t say I’ve ever seen God, although I spend most days looking for Him! Recently, I’ve taken to getting away to spend time devoted to seeking His Presence. I figure, if He wants to show me His glory, His face, or even His back, (see Exodus 33:23), then He can.
As a church leader, I find the most important discipline I develop is my desire to seek God and spend time with Him. It’s also the hardest thing to prioritise when you have people to care for, email inboxes to manage, staff needs and expectations to work with, and Bible study for devotion and revelation. So, I’ve determined, the best way to seek God’s face is to climb a mountain, (figuratively speaking!)
As church Elders we set a priority for me, as a Minister, to block out time in my calendar, to get out of routine, to get away from people, and to seek God. There are no “to do” lists, there are no people to divert me, and I must manage the technology distractions as best I can. What’s the fundamental aim we have with this? To spend time seeking God, trusting that His deep work happens through communion and fellowship.
And so, I regularly pack a bag and head out of town. I am blessed to have access to a house by a lake, where I can listen to the birds, watch the wind in the trees, and walk with God. I spend time in worship. I spend time studying God’s Word, (which is a form of worship for me). I also spend time praying and seeking the voice of God—this means I ask God questions and wait for Him to respond. That often means there are long segments of time where I enjoy silence! But there are also glorious moments where I enjoy the revelation of God as God speaks to me.
I believe we carry the glory of God as a blessing from the time we spend with God. Moses had that experience—meaning a literal, physical transformation, (see Exodus 34:29-30). I had that experience once; I came back from a powerful trip to churches in USA and my colleague commented, “Your face looks different!” Recently, after one trip away to ‘climb the mountain,’ one of our church people said to me after I shared a message, “That’s a word from a man who has spent time with God!” We should all reflect God’s glory, and we can, as a result of our spending time with Him. (see 2 Cor 3:8,9,11)
“So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)
Here at Zion, our church family are spending time in a series called ‘Face to Face with God,’ which is an opportunity to seek God in the scriptures and discover Him in community.
I wonder how you could make seeking God a higher priority? (By that I mean, take your current level of personal devotion time and increase it.) What a wonderful thing it will be, to walk with people who radiate and reflect the glory of God Most High!