So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.
(Exodus 33:11 NKJV)
Most Christians desire to know God more, to have a productive prayer life, and draw near to Him. The problem occurs when we just don’t know exactly how we can do that. We go to church. We worship We pray and read our Bibles. Yet, we still hunger for more.
Moses and Joshua knew how to get face to face with God. Let’s unpack this passage.
Moses and Joshua approached God differently than all of Israel. In the previous chapter, Israel had worshipped the golden calf, and God removed His presence from the midst of the camp. The tabernacle of meeting stood far outside the camp, and that’s where everyone who sought the Lord went to meet with God.
Whenever Moses went out to the tabernacle of meeting, all the people stood outside their tents and watched him, but they never approached the tabernacle themselves.
When Moses entered, the pillar of cloud came down upon the door of the tabernacle. When all the Israelites saw this, they worshipped at the doors of their own tents inside the camp. They never went outside the camp or near the tabernacle. They worshipped from afar.
Moses spoke with God face to face, as a friend in the tabernacle. When Moses returned to the camp, Joshua didn’t depart from the tabernacle as our focal verse tells us.
Am I standing from afar worshipping, or am I willing to go the extra distance for a face to face with God? Joshua was willing to leave the camp. He preferred God’s presence to the company of the Israelites. Joshua hungered for God, and he knew the only way he could be fed was outside the camp.
As I consider Joshua’s longing to be with the Lord, I wonder. Do I not possess the same desire as Joshua? Do I not hunger and thirst like Joshua did? Am I willing to leave my everyday schedule to go into my prayer closet for an extended time? Am I willing to feast upon the presence of God until I am overflowing?
Friend, I want to challenge both of us. I made a note about this Scripture over one year ago, but I was reminded of it while listening to Dr. Tony Evans’ podcast. This challenge comes from his message. Once a week, go to your tabernacle of meeting for an extended time with the Lord. Choose a place where you won’t be disturbed or distracted. This can also be a time of fasting, but spend quality time with your heavenly Father.
As these last days continue, being in the manifest presence of God becomes more important.
Soon, we will spend eternity with God. Why can’t we spend more time with Him now?
Lord God, help me set aside a time for special intimacy for us. Help me prevent the world from stealing that time. I look forward to our meeting. Amen.
DIG DEEPER
HIKING THE TRAIL
Do you have a special place you go for prayer? Can you find a different place for your special weekly meetings? I plan to make mine outside with an indoor alternative for bad weather. If you are able to create a spot away from your home, that might have extra benefits. Remember to turn your phone off. I would love to hear how this works for you.
RELATED RESOURCES
Wouldn’t it be great to have a list of how to improve our prayer lives? Here it is! Incense Rising: 60 Days to powerful Prayer is a devotional with a new aspect on prayer for each day. Learn more here: https://amountainoffaith.com/product/in-the-storm-kindle-edition/
with a new aspect on prayer for each day. Learn more here: https://amountainoffaith.com/product/in-the-storm-kindle-edition/
Originally posted on August 21, 2020 @ 3:00 am