Morning by Morning, March 23 - "In the Cleft of the Rock"
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I look to You and call on Your name -- my Lord and Savior, my Rock and Refuge, my Very Present Help in time of need. ...
"The Lord said to Moses, 'I will do the very thing that you have asked; for you have found favor in My sight, and I know you by name.' Moses said, 'Show me Your glory, I pray.' And He said, 'I will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you the name, 'The Lord'; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,' he said, 'you can not see My face; for no one shall see Me and live.' And the Lord continued, 'See, there is a place by Me where you shall stand on the rock; and while My glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with My hand until I have passed by; then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but my face shall not be seen'" (Exodus 33:17-23).
O Lord, my God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- You know the desire in our hearts to see You, to experience You, to know the manifest glory of Your Presence. And in these days of world-wide crisis, of gripping and gut-wrenching personal crisis for so many, we need to know the glory of the Your personal Presence with us more than ever. We're desperate for You -- for Your Presence, for Your guidance, for Your answers, for Your protection, for Your healing, for Your provision, for Your hope, for all we need to get us through this while being faithful witnesses to You through this at the same time.
Like Moses, set us on the rock of our security in You. Standing on the rock speaks of standing firm in the faith You supply, standing strong in the confidence of Your Word and Your promises say no matter what our circumstances say, and standing in the face of whatever would seek to steal and kill and destroy in our lives. "Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand" (Ephesians 6:13).
But also like Moses, "put (us) in a cleft of the rock" and "over (us) with Your hand" as "(Your) glory passes by" (Exodus 33:22). Putting us in the cleft of the rock speaks of Your invitation to intimacy with You, deeply abiding with You, lovingly and securely embraced by You (John 15:4). "I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings" (Psalm 61:4 NKJV). This is the glory of Your manifest Presence. And anything we every go through is worth it if it brings us to that deeper place in You. For there's no other place I'd rather be, there's no other place that better or safer than in the arms of the One who is our Rock. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My friend, may you stand firm in the Lord and be firmly embraced by Him in the cleft of the Rock of His deeply abiding Presence, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out ...
Preparing the Way of the Lord
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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