“The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountains and stay here… and the Lord called to Moses…” Exodus 24:12-17

Do you ever get jealous of those who claim to have an “experience” with God?

Do you perhaps resent people who speak about the intimacy of their relationship with God? Do you wonder about the correctness of calling God “Daddy” or “Abba”?

I think we all long for precious moments of intimacy with God, perhaps most often when the busyness of life clutches at us. Wouldn’t it be nice to walk with God in Eden’s glades and hear God calling in the stillness? Or maybe we’re more practical: would someone please pay for a three-day silent retreat for me?!

Moses has the unique and life altering experience of being alone with God on a mountain. But as I read Exodus 24, three things about his “retreat” stand out.

First, God says, Come up to me on the mountain. It takes time and effort for me to “come up” to God. It means leaving the valley of the mundane and ordinary. It means leaving others—and the otherness of regular life, a disciplined effort to leave the people and demands that I think so important.

Second, God said, …stay here… Moses, stay with me here on the mountain. Catch your breath after the climb. I have something important to say to you but you must get your mind in God gear. Stop thinking about the past, even the good past when I met your needs, when I parted a sea, poured water from a rock, sent fresh bread every day in the desert. I have new news for you.” Staying with God means stop squirming, stop thinking about the list of things to do. Just staying with God.

Third, after six days of staying, …the Lord called to Moses… After the climb and the staying, God revealed himself in unimaginable glory and spoke the message that would define the Jews and lead them to the Promised land. Often I want the glory—maybe angels descending on a cloud, sweet melodies and palpable spiritual quivering—rather than God’s voice that says “go, do, tell.”

Climbing the mountains of daily life, staying with God long enough to hear his voice:  it’s practicing these disciplines of the Christian life that lays the groundwork for intimacy with my Abba Father.

Father, thank you for faithfully to calling me to yourself. Help me take the time and effort to stay long enough to hear your voice.

By Marilyn Ehle
used by permission

Further Reading

Intimacy with God –  by Sylvia Gunter

“First Love” Intimacy – by Allan Mitchell

Father’s Love Letter – An Intimate Message from God

The post On a Mountain with God appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Look! I am doing a new thing…” Isaiah 43:19

The owner of an upscale boutique led me through the aisles of his shop filled with exquisite clothing. It only took a sidelong glance at a few price tags to determine that this was a shop far beyond any budget I could ever hope to have. Quite unexpectedly, the owner-friend said, “Pick out something for yourself, Marilyn,” but instead of quickly choosing a garment, I seemed stunned into inactivity. Finally our friend handed me a beautiful black and white sequined sweater of intricate design. “This is perfect for you.” In just moments the gift was wrapped in fine tissue, thrust into a bag and we walked out of this shopper’s heaven. In the months and years ahead I wore this lovely sweater on many semi-formal occasions and always felt like some woman out of the pages of the fashion magazine.

But one day I noticed that a few threads binding the front of the knitted garment to the bottom band were loose. Soon the entire front had unravelled from the band and my lovely sweater was in fragments. Its parts were still beautiful but because it was no longer whole, my fine garment was no longer wearable. I carefully folded my beautiful sweater and placed it in the back of a drawer where it seemed destined to be unused and unusable, merely a pleasant memory.

Frequently we look at what we consider our human weaknesses or the “little sins” which plague us and decide they are just part and parcel of the human condition. We allow ourselves to be lulled into believing that a consistently negative attitude, lack of discipline in any area of life, listless study of the Bible, or nonchalant attitude toward physical suffering in the world around us are merely actions and attitudes “common to man.” We measure ourselves against what is considered the norm and become complacent with far less than God’s intended holy purposes for our lives.

We have become like the beautiful sweater tucked into a corner of the drawer, remembering past days when we were seen as reflections of God’s glory, when we glowed with the joy of submission to His will, but we now lie unused and unusable, with merely pleasant memories of our past abundant life.

But the story of my sweater didn’t end in the drawer. One day a new friend, an accomplished knitter, showed me some of her beautiful work and I told her the story of my sweater. “Oh, I could fix that so it would be like new,” she said with confidence. I doubted her word and skill at first, but finally placed my sweater into her hands. Imagine my surprise and delight when only a week later she handed me a re-created sweater with not a trace of its former fragmented condition. It had been restored to its former glory and subsequently was worn on many occasions. When I frequently received compliments on my black and white designer sweater, I smiled and said “thank you,” but another kind of smile was in my heart. Only I knew that this sweater had once been put aside as unwearable but had been made new.

What a thrill it must give God when we allow Him to re-create us on a daily basis so that others look at us and see the beauty of Jesus. We know we have been fragmented and maybe even thrust into the dark corners of drawers for periods of time, but God is always willing, ready and able to re-knit us into beautiful reflections of His glory.

By Marilyn Ehle
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

•  He Lets me Rest
•  God, our Shield

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