I am the temple for God’s presence.
My heart is the rock of faith.
I’m shielded by Christ’s righteousness.
So that I can see His Holy Face.
I guard my temple doors by controlling my thoughts and fears.
I decorate His thrown room with laughter, love, and tears.
Christ cleans every inch of the palace where His glory dwells.
I ensure His space remains undefiled by denying the demons from hell.
For I cherish the essence of His being.
I treasure the sweet and intimate meeting.
For this life on earth is fleeting.
Yahweh-Raah, please, lead me.
Devotional: “Seek the Face of God” Post 2
What do I prepare?
In my last post, I mentioned that we would unpack these questions that were made at the end of the post about “what should we prepare?” “where should we go?” and “how long should we wait?” when we are seeking the face (manifest presence) of God. With this post, we are focusing on just the first question, “what do I prepare?” As I have been studying throughout the week for this post, I felt God was leading me to look at the story of Moses in Exodus 33. This is after he lead the Israelites out of Egypt, and he was working on guiding them through the desert to the promise land. However, the Israelites were falling short on their faith, and the “short” trip through the desert ended up becoming a 40 year adventure. Through this time, Moses met with God consistently, so that he could know God deeply (intimately), and so that he could steward the leadership position God had charged him with well which was to bring the children of Israel into the promise land.
Moses understood two things. 1) God is sovereign and powerful 2) God must be honored for who He is and not by what He does for us. So what does this mean for our post today about what we must prepare when we are seeking the face of God? We must understand that to enter into His manifest presence we have to know and declare God’s sovereign power over our lives, and we must honor God for who He is.
Well, how do we honor God?
When Moses would meet with God, face to face (manifest presence), he would go outside of the camp and into the “tent of meeting” which was a temporary temple in honor of God where His manifest presence could dwell. (Exodus 33: 7-11) This was a predetermined place that was outside of the camp which tellS us that the places where we meet with God have to be prepared ahead of time, and they need to be seclusive (outside of the camp) –a place where it is intimate–no distractions from the world. What I feel God is saying through this story is that to meet with Him we have to be intentional with our time. We have to within our heart of hearts see meeting with him as a priority, and we have to desire to make it intimate and purposeful.
What can you do to prepare a place to meet with Him?
God loves for us to desire His presence. I think that this is why He and Moses had such a strong relationship because Moses longed for and lived for the manifest presence of God in his life. In Exodus 33:12-17, Moses is having a conversation with God. He is reminding God of what He said to Him about his (Moses) mission or calling God put on His life. Moses says, “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.’ 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.” In verse 13, Moses commands God to teach him His ways so that he (Moses) may “know” Him. The word “know” in this verse is referring to an intimate relationship with God. Intimate means to be closely acquainted; familiar; close, and it also means to be private and personal. Moses so desired a richly, deep relationship with God. Meeting with Him was more than just benefiting from His presence. It was about spending time with Him, getting to know Him, speaking with Him. It was about knowing Him better than anyone else. Moses’ heart for God is an example to us. If you are wanting more of the manifest presence of God in your life, you need to time and room for Him in your life. The same way you would a friend, a child, or spouse. Moses also knew about the importance of God’s favor in his life, and he wanted His favor not just for himself, but also, for the nation of Israel. When we meet with God and have an intimate relationship with Him, it should never be just for ourselves. The motivation should be to seek His will for our lives which is to glorify Him by blessing others. Moses wanted the nation of Israel to benefit from his closeness with God.
Another part of this story that stood out to me was that when Moses went to the temple of meeting to speak with God, God would respond by sending his manifest presence in the form of a cloud. Each time Moses speaks with God, God’s presence is sent as another form. When Moses asks to see God’s glory in Exodus 33:18, He tells him (Moses) that “You cannot see my face for no one can see me and live.” God’s glory is so bright, righteous, and pure that our human bodies could not withstand being in His presence which is why God had to send his presence in the form of something else such as a pillar of cloud or a burning bush. Another part of the story that stood out to me is that the “cloud of His spirit” would come down at the entrance of the temporary temple. Why would His spirit not dwell within the tent? As I was studying this, I felt like God was telling me that before Christ is within us or even in this time, before Christ, God could not dwell within the temple(the heart) of man because of the separation of sin which is what makes us unrighteous, but by the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, we are able to be forgiven of sin and through Christ we are then made right with God. After accepting our salvation in Jesus, we are then able to “house” the spirit of the Lord within our temple. What a mighty truth this is!
If our bodies and our hearts are then the temple, dwelling place of God Almighty, then we must seek extra care to keep our thrown rooms clean and polished for His spirit. How do we do that?
- Standing guard over our hearts by renewing our minds daily with His word.
- Standing guard over our mouths by speaking words of life.
- Standing guard over our eyes by keeping our sights on the kingdom of God.
- Standing guard over our hands by serving the kingdom.
- Standing guard over our time so that we can keep God the center.
- Standing guard over our relationships so that we can be encouraging to others and to be encouraged by the Spirit of God.
Over the next week, I challenge you to find your “tent of meeting” and to bask in the mighty presence of your Father. He so longs for you to desire Him in this way. I challenge you to keep a close watch over your “temple” so that God’s presence can be glorified in and through you. The bible says to trust in Jesus to bring the peace that will guard our hearts and minds (Philippians 4:7) , and we must do what the word says to protect the temple of our Heavenly Father.
Please let me pray for you:
Heavenly Father, Abba Father, thank you for your presence. Thank you for your love, peace, and grace. Thank you for your Son Jesus so that we may be able to house your spirit within us. That we may have an intimate relationship with you. There is nothing more great, powerful, more glorious than you. Help us Lord to stand guard over our hearts, our minds, our souls, and our spirits. We long to meet with you Lord, face to face. Lord God, shine your light on any areas of our hearts that need to be healed and forgiven so that we may enjoy the full richness and joy of your kingdom and your presence. We ask this in Jesus mighty name, Amen.
Scriptures to Study:
Songs of Worship:
Holy Ground by Passion Ft. Melodie Malone
The Crimson Robe 