Now all the people perceived the thundering and the lightening and the noise of the trumpet and the smoking mountain, and as [they] looked, they trembled with fear and fell back and stood afar off.
And they said to Moses, you speak to us and we will listen but let not God speak to us, lest we die. And Moses said to the people, fear not; for God has come to prove you, so that the fear of Him may be before you, that you may not sin.
And the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.
Exodus 20:18-21
During their time in the Wilderness, Moses was the only person who had experience a personal relationship with God. The Israelites were given the opportunity to know God for themselves but fear, doubt and complaining kept them from discovering the trueness of who God is. Instead of excepting God's offer to make it personal, they looked to Moses and placed that responsibility onto him. When they did this, they place Moses in God's position leading them to seek him instead of God.
When we choose to seek people (their opinions and validations of us ) instead of God, it makes it difficult for us to experience God the way we should.
They blamed Moses for all of their problems in the wilderness. While they choose to complained about their troubles, Moses choose to cry out for God's help. It got to the point were Moses had to remind them that they prayed to be rescue from Egypt and that God was leading them, but using him to do it. They place their responsibilities of knowing and trust God on Moses instead of being spiritually mature and experiencing God for themselves. The purpose of them being in the wilderness was not for them to learn Moses and his way but for them to learn how to be dependent on God and His will.
The wilderness was a time where God was proving who He is to the Israelites. His goal was to mold and shape them into His chosen people. He was teaching them that they could have more than a prayer life with Him. They could also have a relationship. A relationship built on trust and dependence on Him. God also give them a teacher and an example in Moses. He exposed who is to Moses through a burning bush, then taught and lead him through the wilderness,(Exodus 3:2-7) God prepared Moses so he could teach the Israelites how to do the same. But, when it was their chance to learn who God is, their fear of not knowing Him lead to them to not learn about a God that they had been praying to. They knew how to pray to God but establishing a personal relationship with Him was something new. ( this let's me know we can know God and still not know God) They passed on a personal experience for human dependency. This was a mistake. They never really learned how to depend on God for themselves because they were too busy depending on Moses.
When you choose make it someone else's responsible for establishing your personal relationship with God, it leads you to seeking them more instead of God. This can lead to us limited who God is. If you place someone in God's position, it can lead to confusion and misunderstandings about who God is. Instead of becoming more like God we will become more like they are. When you choose put your trust and dependency in a person, you will soon learn that they are imperfect beings with flaws and limitations just like you. And If you're not careful, this can allow for a judgmental and prideful attitude to creep because they cannot do what only God can do. Instead of them being an example of hope, help, and influence. They are criticize and judged for not being enough. This is why it is so important that you take responsibility for your relationship with God. There's no one that can complete you like God can. When God places someone in your life as an example to learn from, don't hold them accountable for your experience. You can admire their relationship with God without coping it. Don't forfeit your experience with God because it's unfamiliar. And don't blame you not knowing who God is on anyone else. It's not your church, your parents, your spouse or your friends to establish your relationship with Him. It is yours. I will take for you to chose God first to learn who He is. All they are require to do is be great examples of their faith. But putting in the work and cultivating your own personal relationship makes you accountable for your experience with Him.
A relationship with God is always open to you. If you would like to experience God for yourself, start by accepting what God has already given you, your salvation through Jesus Christ and receive your inheritance into His royal family. Then start your process of dating God. Start with what you know about Him and then learn as you go. Allow God to reveal who he is to you and use the people who's relationships with God you admire as a guide. The example that God has place in your life should be there to help you. Ask them questions about their faith. God has given them direction to always be prepare to give an answer to everyone who ask why they hope in him. (see 1 Peter 3:15) But, remember the goal is not copy their experience, but to cultivate your own. Your relationship with God is unique to you. No relationship is the same. You are an individualize expression of God. This is why you are worth your own experience with Him.
#sowaseed
No comments:
Post a Comment