“And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him. Exodus: 34:29-30
All week we have been considering the peace and joy that the presence of the Lord gives us. But in this scripture, we read of a time when people were afraid of His presence.
Moses had been on the mountain in the presence of the Lord for forty days. When he came down from the mountain his face glowed. He had to wear a veil when he communed with the people. After being in God’s presence there was such peace in his heart, that it was reflected upon his face. But the people were afraid, they had never seen anything like this before. They were probably wondering what the Lord would have Moses say to them after this encounter.
Have you ever watched someone praying at an altar, seeking the Lord with all their heart, when suddenly there is a change in their expression? As the Spirit of the Lord fills their heart, they begin to smile, and their face glows. It is a witness to those around that they have been in the holy presence of the Lord. It is not something that makes us afraid, but rather we rejoice with them.
Our desire should be to spend time in the presence of the Lord, until our countenance changes and those that we meet will see and know that we have been with Jesus. They will question us as to what makes the difference and we will have an opportunity to share the Gospel message with them. We can tell them that the Holy Spirit living within us, makes us different and that they too can experience the joy of the presence of the Lord.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for the opportunity to spend time in your presence, and for the joy and peace it brings. Help us to share our experience with others so that they too may know You.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
Comments are closed.