Expanded Glory
Expanded Glory
Reflecting on God's Provision in Daily Life
When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from within the cloud. To the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain. Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights. — Exodus 24:15-18
“What did he eat?” a Sunday School child asked, upon hearing this passage read.
Leave it to children to ask the kinds of questions that will deepen the understanding of their wizened teachers.
We take simple things like, “what did he eat,” for granted when faced with the majestic presence of God. A preacher might draw the listener’s attention to the glory of God, and what it means to be glorious. They might focus on the number 40, a number packed with biblical significance. They might also reference mountain-top experiences and how they prepare us for the valley — the places where life is typically lived.
All of these are important and need to be considered. But if you were going somewhere for a long time, what concerns would you have?
What will I eat? What will I wear? Where will I stay?
In other words, the daily concerns.
We take it for granted that Jesus taught his disciples to pray, saying, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). But we shouldn’t take it for granted. Doing so increases the odds that we will forget these characteristics of God. And if we forget, we will be left with an omnipotent God that is also impassible, unconcerned with human affairs. In other words, we will reduce God to the status of all the other created gods that are worshipped for their might, but not known for their provision, care, mercy, and love.
A friend reminded me of a quote I would share when preaching. It goes, “Many Christians trust God to take care of their eternal salvation, but they cannot trust that he’ll take care of lunch.” If we would ask the questions that are obvious to our children, we would discover that God is, in fact, concerned with lunch. He is concerned with the great and small things… indeed, to him they are all small things that are of significance to him, because he loves us.
Whatever else happened on that mountain, we’d better believe that “Sustaining Moses” was high on God’s list of things to do. We aren’t told how he sustained, but we know that he did. Because when Moses descended the mountain, he wasn’t on a gurney receiving life support; rather, he was energized by having spent time with God.
I dare you to walk with God today as if he were interested in the “small stuff” in your life. How would your approach change if you did so?
Almighty God, when we call you “Almighty,” we typically think of the power you demonstrated when you spoke the world into existence, parted the Red Sea, and drove back armies that oppressed your people. Yet, we often fail to see that your greatness, your omnipotence, is best seen in your desire and ability to care for the “small things” in our lives: the food, shelter, and clothing things. Teach us to truly acknowledge you in all our ways, not just the challenges beyond our control but even the tasks we believe we can manage independently. May we come to understand how you direct our paths and gain a deeper revelation of your loving kindness toward us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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