SOLO Day 6 – Exodus 33:21-34:7

Have you ever bought into something so deeply you wanted to own it? Maybe a sport-you started out as a player, but as time progressed you began to put more of an emphasis on it. You were no longer just a player, you became a team member, then maybe you progressed to a captain. Slowly, but surely, this became all you talked about and thought about. Bill Hybels, in his book Axiom, refers to this as the difference between an owner and a hireling, or a hired hand. You know longer are working for "the man", you own the vision. You believe in what you're doing.

This is exactly what's going on with Moses. He's no longer the timid man that encounters God through a burning bush. He's seen God's faithfulness over and over again. Now he meets with God and they converse as friends. He's not just the hired hand anymore. He cares about God's vision. He cares about these people he's been placed in charge of. He wants in on God's plans and he wants to see God with his own eyes. He's become an owner.

Personally, I love Moses' boldness! I want to be like that in my conversations with God. I want to come to him and know that we're so close, we can talk about anything! I want to com to him-not making demands-but honestly with real requests, knowing that he's going to hear me and respond. Then let the chips fall where they may. Are you that honest with God?

God responds and says, "Okay, I'll speak, so that you know I'm coming by, then you can see my back, because if you see my face you'll die". So God does this, and even places Moses in a corner of rock and covers his Moses's eyes with his hand (because I'm sure Moses tried to peek) until he's passed so Moses can catch a glimpse of his glory. (If we were to keep reading we'd see that Moses comes down off the mountain and he literally glows after being in the presence of God. It's such a scary thing for the people of Israel that he has to wear a veil like a woman, otherwise they keep freaking out. How cool is that?)

So may we come boldly to God, knowing he's already waiting to sit with us, and may we be real and honest, because we want to own the vision he has for our lives. And may we glow after we've been with him, so that all mankind may know we are God's friend!

SOLO Day 5 – Exodus 16:9-16

God cares about your needs. Probably not a mind-blowing concept, but it's true. Recently Carrie and I went through a challenging season of our lives. We went to bed every night and asked God to rescue us. Yet he remained silent. To an extent, he still remains silent.

However, we began to see certain things fall into place that couldn't have happened unless God was at work. Specific people came and helped us out. Aid came in interesting ways. God was answering our prayers, just not in the way we expected.

There have been so many times in my life when I felt confused, disappointed, even angry at God. Could he not see the pain I was going through? Could he not understand I was trying to do the best I could do? Did he not get the fact that I was one of his followers-I was even a youth pastor, working for him? How could he not answer me and take care of me when others seemed to be so blessed?

In those moments, it's good for me to look at this story. The Israelites have already been rescued by God, They saw the ten plagues poured out on Egypt. They saw God part the waters of the Red Sea when there was no way out. God had even made bitter water sweet and drinkable, so they didn't die as they were traveling through the desert. In all of those circumstances, God did something remarkable. It wasn't what the Israelites expected, and showed his absolute power.

God cares about your needs. Do not mistake his silence for absence. Perhaps he's waiting to shock you with his provision.

May you see God's rescue and may you praise the one true God, because he's crazy about you!