"Is There a Cry in You for a Deeper Friendship with God?"

Fresh Revelation Face-to-Face

Exodus 33:12-16 - "Then Moses said to him, 'If Your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that You are pleased with me and with Your people unless You go with us? What else will distinguish me and Your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?'"

After an incredible "mountain top" experience on Mount Sinai with a 40-day visitation, receiving The Ten Commandments, and having God inscribe the Law on his heart, Moses descended the mountain and was hit with heavy spiritual warfare. His people were entangled in blatant sexual perversion as they worshipped a golden calf. The Lord's jealousy burned and He released judgment, costing three thousand men their lives.

In total desperation, Moses cried out for a greater encounter with the Lord - a deeper visitation was needed! It was not enough to see a burning bush ablaze, or watch the Red Sea part, or even to see supernatural provision each day with the raining down of manna. He cried out for more! He wanted to see God's face. He would not take "No" for an answer. Total desperation, unquenchable hunger, and unswerving commitment to his people caused Moses to contend with God for His presence.

While Moses faced death and warfare, it caused him to press into God with a greater desperation! Do your trials cause you to run to God or from God? No matter what your circumstances, God is inviting you to come up higher. Don't live in the valley of death and destroyed dreams. He will give you the strength and the wings of an eagle to soar up the mountain to greater heights in Him.

God answered Moses' cry by letting His goodness pass before him. After Moses descended, the very glory of God rested on him, causing his face to shine. Moses even had to wear a veil to hide the blinding brightness of God's glory.

Have You Cried Out to See the Face of God?

Have you, like Moses, cried out to see the face of God? It is not enough to have a "mountain top" experience or receive fresh revelation as Moses did! Moses wanted more.

He wanted friendship. He wanted intimacy. He wanted God Himself. There is something greater than receiving life-changing prophetic words, attending the latest of conferences, or seeing God's power explode in signs and wonders.

Nothing is greater in this life than being His friend. Is there a cry in you for a deeper friendship with God? God is calling for us to meet with Him face-to-face.

Prayer: Lord, the warfare has been so intense. In the storms of life, I want to run to you and not from you. What I have had before is just not enough. I need to see You face-to-face. I want to be Your friend and hear Your heart. Please encounter me, Lord!

Running to Him...Not from Him: Godly Fear

Exodus 14:31 - "And when the Israelites saw the great power the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust in Him and in Moses, his servant."

Fear, or reverential awe of the Lord, should help us run to God rather than from God. Moses' encounter with God on Mount Sinai is an awesome example of how encountering God causes reverence and elation, rather than fear of rejection and spiritual boredom.

Moses ascended the great mountain of the Lord, shielded from the glare of life's non-essentials. This was the place where God is all that exists and all that matters. After the lightning and the rumblings on Mount Sinai, Moses returned and told the people something interesting. He said, "God has come to place His fear in you so that you might not sin."

Encountering Him

Godly fear is a reverential awe. It is realized with an encounter with an another-world, extra-dimensional, supernatural reality. And in that place of realization, it empowers our hearts to not settle on the lesser loves of this world.

We find casual, routine religion to be convenient. We find it to be pleasant. But this kind of religion fails to provide the average American parishioner, week in and week out, with the kind of spine-tingling, seat-of-the-pants, edge-of-the-seat environment that delivers us from lesser distractions. I don't want to go to church when I can predict every moment of the service. God is radical and unpredictable. He wants to bring in the suddenly of His personality. He wants to be able to model church after Moses' encounter on Mount Sinai.

When Moses went up onto Mount Sinai, he didn't think that he was going to have forty minutes of worship, then some announcements, and then the timed message. When God is in the house, nothing is predictable! If His presence is there, you are on the edge of your seat and you forget your watch. You don't know how much time has passed. God is there and that is all that matters. Do not let your hearts faint if there is a holy dissatisfaction burning in you. For the most radical encounters that you will have will be in the privacy of your own home in the secret place. You must contend for that something more and let that hunger drive you into a deeper intimacy with Him. Let's all cry out for our own Mount Sinai encounters with the Lord.

We must have more of You!

Prayer: Lord, I want to have a holy fear of Your awesomeness! Help me to climb the mountain, to encounter You, and not to settle for anything less than YOU alone. We welcome you back to our churches to ruin us for the ordinary. We must have Your presence or we will become dull and barren!

by Jill Austin
Master Potter Ministries
http://www.masterpotter.com
info@masterpotter.com

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