Have you ever hidden from someone? One time I jumped into an aisle at a grocery store to avoid being seen by a person that had hurt me tremendously. Unfortunately, I let my guard down and he found me later on in the dairy section. I need better ninja skills.
People are not all I avoid. I hide from the Lord as well. I am the opposite of Moses who let his guard down completely whenever he was in front of God.
Exodus 34:29, 32-35
When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord…Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai. When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. But whenever he entered the Lord’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the Lord.
Moses took the veil off in front of the Lord. Nothing was between the two of them as they talked. What an amazing friendship they had! Sometimes, though, I put up a guard with God. I often lower my expectations to prayers being answered in order to “guard” my hope. I have sidestepped conversations with Him to “guard” against having accountability in having to follow His plan instead of mine. I “guard” against sharing my dreams, afraid that I am asking for is “too big” or feeling I will never receive the answers. I have even put a “guard” on my anger or disappointment with the Lord as if He did not know what I truly thought or felt.
What guard do you put up?
What if every veil was removed? What if there was nothing, not even a “thin something” between God and ourselves? What if ever hindrance was put away? Maybe the hindrance is not feeling worthy of this relationship. But I believe that what the Lord offered to Moses is available to all of us, if we would so choose.
Exodus 33:11a
The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Friend to friend, no barriers, no guards, no veils.
The Lord wants to be our friend. How marvelous is that! The proximity of relationship depends on us. We can choose to unveil our hearts to him today and become true friends, a friend of God.