Encouragement 1-26-04

January 26, 2004

Encouragement for Today

 

Seeing God

Micca Campbell

 

Key Verse:

 

And he said, "Please, show me your glory." (Exodus 33:18, NKJ)

 

 

Devotion:

 

I love chubby babies. You know - the ones that look like they have been melted together. When I was pregnant with my three children, I would constantly dream about each baby and who he or she would resemble. With anticipation, I speculated whose eyes the baby would have. I was curious about whether the baby would have hair or not and whose nose he or she would have. I could hardly think of anything else.

 

It was during the long hours of labor that I discovered the "soon to be" grandparents, along with aunts and uncles were just as consumed with who the baby looked like as I was. When the baby finally arrived, the attention quickly turned from me to the new bundle of joy. Sounds of approval filled the air as each member of the family picked out the body part that most resembled them. Our expectations were satisfied and our dreams fulfilled.

 

Just as we wait in wonder of what our children will look like, many have tried to imagine what God looks like as well. Most Believers have confessed that when they arrive in Heaven, they can't wait to see Jesus face to face. Moses had a desire to see the face of God too.

 

While no one can see the face of God and live, the Lord promised to reveal Himself to Moses as the God of grace and compassion. God placed Moses upon a rock and covered Moses with His hand. As God passed by, Moses caught a glimpse of God's afterglow. (Exodus 33:18-23)

 

God doesn't have a physical body. He dwells as purity of light. Moses only saw a glimpse of His full brilliance. And our Lord has given us a glimpse of His glory too. The beauty of God is revealed to us on Earth. God's splendor is displayed before our eyes in His creation, in His grace and compassion and in His Son-Jesus.

 

If you think that you've missed seeing Him, I invite you to look closer.

 

God looks like compassion when...the kindness of another provides you a meal.

 

God looks like comfort when... a friend consoles your broken heart.

 

God looks like shelter when...you were protected from a dangerous situation.

 

God looks like creation when...the wave of the sea obeys its boundaries.

 

God looks like hope when...all else fails you.

 

God looks like love when...Christ came to earth.

 

God looks like strength when...He empowers you to endure through temptation.

 

God looks like grace when...He forgives your sins.

 

God looks like mercy when...He supplies all your needs.

 

...And we see God in Jesus Christ who is the exact expression of all His glory!

 

We don't have to wait for Heaven to see God. He is in us, with us and around us. Open your eyes and see God.

 

 

My prayer for today:

 

Dear God, open my eyes so that I may see you today. I want to see you high and lifted up above everything that invades my life today. May you alone be the object of my attention. In Jesus name-Amen.

 

 

Application Steps:

 

Take time to see God today. See His provision as you sit in your home. See His kindness when someone holds the door for you. See His care through the hug of a friend. See God everywhere you look and everything you do. He is there.

 

 

Reflection Points:

 

In what ways do you see God in your home, church and work?

 

Are you looking for Him? How do you know when God is present?

 

What ways do you allow the kindness of God to be lived out through you?

 

How do you see God's glory reveled through creation?

 

In what ways does God reveal His nature through people?

 

 

 Power Verses:

 

He who has seen me has seen the Father. (John 14:9, NKJ)

 

Who alone has immortality dwelling in unapproachable light, which no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. (1Timothy 6:16, NKJ)

 

The heavens are telling the glory of God; they are a marvelous display of his craftsmanship. (Psalms 19:1, TLB)

 

In God we live and move and exist. (Act 17:28, NKJ)

 

"Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of host; the whole earth is full of His glory." (Isaiah 6:3, NKJ)

 

 

 Additional Resources:

 

At Home with God by Sharon Jaynes
http://www.gospelcom.net/p31/resources/athome.html

 

A Woman After God's Heart by Elizabeth George
http://www.gospelcom.net/p31/resources/womanafter.html