LEANING HARD On God's Faithfulness:

PART TWO

One of the greatest lessons we can learn from Moses and his journey with Israel is fairly straightforward: The only way to live the life God has called us to is by leaning hard on His faithfulness. Moses understood that if he were to successfully lead Israel onward, God would need to take the lead and go with him. 

Like Moses, God has entrusted each of us with the responsibility of stewardship. And although it might be encouraging to know that God believes in us enough to trust us with His belongings, it can feel a little overwhelming, too. Like we're trying to stack a bunch of stones on top of each other, hoping they don't fall. Fortunately for us, we have been invited to rely on God to do the heavy lifting for us. 

Isn't it encouraging to know God isn't expecting us to manage our lives on our own?   

Sometimes WE NEED TO ASK BIG: Exodus 33:17-23 

What do you normally ask God for? Good weather? Traveling mercies? Rest? Financial security? Strength just to get through the day? Ever wonder if you ask big enough of the God who promises so much? 

Moses realized that Israel's survival depended on one single factor - God. Without God's constant investment, there was no assurance. No provision. No direction. No future. Verses 12-16 offer us some pretty incredible imagery - God assuring Moses that He will remain committed to him despite Israel's disobedience. 

God had granted Moses everything he had asked - rest, assurance, favor. But Moses' response to God's promise only intensified - Now show me your glory. Moses had seen repeated glimpses of God's glory throughout the journey - the parting sea, the plaques, Egypt paralyzed by inexplicable force. And although he was grateful for the assurance of God's commitment and faithfulness, his ultimate desire was to see God's splendor. God's provisions only magnified the beauty of the Giver, and he realized there was no limit to God's beauty. How much different would our lives be if we were less wrapped up in the things God gives and more concerned with God Himself? 

Why didn't God reveal His glory to Moses? Because he wouldn't have been able to withstand the entirety of God's glory: no one may see me and live. But the story doesn't end there. God is so delighted by his request that He makes alternative arrangements, and Moses' life was changed forever - all because he excepted God's invitation to ask big. In the same way, asking big of the God who promises much has life-changing rewards for us, too. 

Sometimes WE NEED TO SEEK HARD: Exodus 34:1-8

While there is no way of knowing how long it took Moses to chisel out two stone tablets, it's safe to assume it was a difficult and draining project. Just imagine how exhausting it would have been for him to stay up all night, chisel out two stone tablets, get ready early in the morning, and climb a mountain full of thorns with a stone tablet each hand - all the while still sleep deprived from his recent return from his last forty-day Mount Sinai adventure with God. Yikes. Sometimes I find it difficult enough just seeking God in the comfort of my home.   

Mount Everest is the tallest point on earth - a little over 29,000 feet. It takes a little over two months to climb because of the need for acclimatizing and adjusting, and it demands a strict diet and top physical shape. Yet during Everest's prime climbing season, five people die each week on average. From a distance, it makes you wonder why people would even try, doesn't it? Israel probably thought the same thing about Moses. 

But Moses understood that stewarding well the life God had called him to often required sacrifice. Hard work. Discomfort. And he was willing to make the climb because he realized that the success he hoped to achieve was a product of relationship. Jesus said it this way, For the Pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows you need them. Seek first the Kingdom of his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6:32-33). Jesus is making a life-changing distinction: Everything we need to live according to God's will naturally flows from a relationship with God. Like the Pagans, sometimes we try to achieve "these things" without seeking the only One who can provide them. We need to get into the mindset that successful stewardship is found in God alone.    

Conclusion? 

WE NEED TO LIVE THE MESSAGE: Exodus 34:27-29

Did you know we've been entrusted with a message that has the power to change the world? And did you know the most effective way we communicate this message isn't with our mouths? That's right - it's by the way we live our lives. And just as Moses' face radiated God's glory, when we spend intimate time with God - when our lives demonstrate His values and standards, people sense God's presence in us. Successful stewardship always directs people back to Christ, because it is a product of Christ. We need to remember that we are called to live the message, and when we do, our lives become a living testimony of hope to a broken world.  

REFLECT / TALK: 

Q: What do you typically ask God for? Do you think you ask big of the God who promises so much? 

Q: Can you remember a time in your life when God answered a "mountain-size" request? How was your life changed? How did it change your view of prayer?

Q: Do you feel you sometimes get more wrapped up in the things God provides rather than God Himself? Why do you think this is? 

Read Jesus' words in Matthew 6:32-33 and explain how these verses speak to you. Do you sometimes find yourself trying to achieve "these things" without seeking the only One who can provide them? What are some practical steps you can begin taking today to "seek first the kingdom of his righteousness"?   

Q: Do you feel your approach to stewardship represents God well? Do you feel your life is a living testimony of hope to a broken world? 

Q: Do you know someone who tends to radiate God's glory by the way they live? Do you ever find yourself hopeful and encouraged by the way they live? Do you find yourself challenged? 

Q: Becoming like Christ is a life-long process, and God is faithful to encourage us with areas of our lives that need some work. What areas in your life has God clearly outlined as needing some work?