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| The risk of honesty |
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Exodus 32:9-14
9 "I have seen these people," the LORD said to Moses, "and they are a stiff-necked people. 10 Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation." 11 But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God. "O LORD," he said, "why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, 'It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth'? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. 13 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: 'I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.' " 14 Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.
30 The next day Moses said to the people, "You have committed a great sin. But now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin." 31 So Moses went back to the LORD and said, "Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. 32 But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written." 33 The LORD replied to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book. 34 Now go, lead the people to the place I spoke of, and my angel will go before you. However, when the time comes for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin."
Exodus 33:12-23
Moses and the Glory of the LORD 12 Moses said to the LORD, "You have been telling me, 'Lead these people,' but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, 'I know you by name and you have found favor with me.' 13 If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people." 14 The LORD replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." 15 Then Moses said to him, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?" 17 And the LORD said to Moses, "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name." 18 Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory." 19 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. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 20 But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live." 21 Then the LORD said, "There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. 22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen."
The risk of honesty
When I pray, "Thy will be done," I do mean it. But at any given time, in relation to a particular attrachment, there are limits as to how much of God's will I really want done. Although my overall intent is sincerely for God's will, I am not so free when it comes to the small soecifics of my life. It is helpful to be as honest as possible in these situations, t be able to say, "Thy will be done, but i don't want to keep this thing...." There is nothing to be ashamed of in this prayer; it is a matter of bringing ourselves, just as we are, to God, just as God is.
Of course, we have unconsciously been relating to God this way in countless areas of our lives all along. Honesty simply asks if we are willing to acknowledge some of this. Can we stop hiding our secret desires and start claiming them openly before God, who already knows them anyway? Many of the great Old testament figures had such courage, they argued, refused, and wrestled with God. They stood up for themselves with dignity. It might be called chutzpa, but these people were honest, and God certainly seemed to respect them for it. Jesus stood with dignity also; he was willing for God's will, but he was able to express his own desires.
Honesty before God requires the most fundamental risk of faith we can take: the risk that God is good, that God does love us unconditionally. It is in taking this risk that we rediscover our dignity. To bring the truth of ourselves, just as we are, to God , just as God is, is the most dignified thing we can do in this life.
---Gerald G. May
Here I am, Lord,
with all my
addictions and
secret desires.
Help me to risk
believing that you
still love me
anyway.
taken from Recovery Devotional Bible |
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| January 04, 2008 |
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| That is a Great blog and a Blessing! |
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| January 04, 2008 |
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I have often wrestled with "Thy Will Be Done". It will be done anyway, however there is always the but. Thy will be done, but.......
I have followed it quite often with Lord, You know my heart and I know YOU want to hear my side too out of my mouth... That is being honest. He is here with me just as you or one of my family members may be standing with me face to face. I talk and relate to him in that manner and in all truthfulness I am more honest with him than any human here on earth.
He above all others REALLY KNOWS ME. He above all others REALLY CARES. He knows what is in our hearts, he just wants us to declare it with our mouth. If we are his children, do we not have a right to argue, confront, wrestle with him??? We honor, glorify, praise and worship him but can we also be quite honest with him. He has not placed himself on a pedestle that we cannot talk with him. He has made that perfectly clear by coming to live among his children. HE IS OUR FATHER, OUR CREATOR who loves us. |
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