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Teach Me Your Ways Lord
In the
book of Exodus, Moses describes portions of his
life journey for us. Often, the writings of Moses
are considered to be lists of rules and
regulations. This is unfortunate, because a
careful analysis of his daily diary
reveals a humble man of profound wisdom and
faith. He was a leader of sterling character, who
had a genuine compassion and fervent love for a
group of very stubborn and undeserving people.
Yet, if you read a description of Moses
character as a young adult, it would reveal
actions that were fostered by impetuousness, poor
decision-making, brashness, impatience and anger.
So, what brought about the change? In Exodus 33:
13, I believe we find a clue. Moses prayed: If
you are pleased with me, teach me Your ways so I
may know You and continue to find favor with
You. And the Lord replied: My
presence will go with you, and I will give you
rest. (Verse 14). I am sure all
of us would love to know the Presence of God in
our daily lives and the rest and peace that
accompanies it. Yet, when we further examine
Moses life, the record shows that it was
anything but peaceful! The nation of Israel had a
way of standing on every nerve in Moses
body, constantly challenging and pushing him
beyond the limits of normal human patience,
forgiveness and love. Yet, time after time, Moses
managed to rise above the situation he was
facing, demonstrating wisdom filled with
compassionate judgment and leadership. How did he
do that? Look again at Exodus 33:13 and ponder
the phrase:
teach me Your ways so
I may know You
This is the door
that leads to victorious Christian living.
Since this verse is found
in Exodus, you might immediately conclude the
phrase teach me Your ways, means
rules or doctrine. Yes, it is important to have
sound doctrine and a faith based on the solid
foundation of Gods Word. God gave the
written word to Moses for instruction; however,
we have missed the point if our focus is on the
rules. Jesus made that radiantly clear when He
addressed the Pharisees (the teachers of the
Law), calling them hypocrites, blind guides and
whitewashed tombs. (Matthew 23) Jesus told them
that an outward display of living by the
rules is not the goal! The Pharisees were
proud because they had an extensive knowledge of
Scripture and believed they had reached a
higher standard of holiness. Many
people today have fallen into this pit.
Unfortunately, they have woe-fully
missed the point Jesus reprimand and have
failed to see the essence of successful Christian
living. How ironic that the Pharisees
quoted Moses to justify their behavior,
demonstrating how a carnal heart can turn truth
upside down. In fact, If Moses life shows
anything, it proves how God can internalize His
character within a human heart and mind. In spite
of all the stressors that constantly assailed
Moses daily, I believe he learned how to have
peace in the midst of a storm.
Moses wanted to know God
on a personal, intimate basis. Without wanting to
seem irreverent, Moses wanted to know what made
God tick. Sometimes in life, we are
privileged to meet someone we admire. We long to
associate with them and know them better. We like
their company and are anxious to learn the
secret of their positive lifestyle.
In the same manner, our greatest desire should be
to know God. We should be so impressed with His
magnificence and graciousness that we long to
know what makes Him so loving and fair. We should
be so enamored with the attributes of His
character that we would do anything to be with
Him and model our lifestyles after Him. When we
exercise strenuously, our bodies crave water to
quench dehydration. God promises that if we will thirst
after His righteousness, our spiritual cravings
will be met and we will be filled with His
righteousness, just like Moses was. (Matthew 5:6)
In like manner, Paul
admonishes us to be filled with the
Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18) Therefore, for
just a moment, let us reflect on a few attributes
of Gods character by reviewing what Paul
calls the fruit of the Spirit. The
attributes of Gods character are beyond
human understanding, but Paul does mention love,
joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
(Galatians 5:22,23) This list is far
more than a simple list of positive traits we
should strive for; instead, it gives us a glimpse
into the wonderful personality of God. Isnt
it interesting that each of these characteristics
listed by Paul are relational? For example, if
Gods Spirit lives within us, we will be
kind and gentle (to others), patient and faithful
(to others), etc. These characteristics, by their
very nature, indicate that our relationship with
God is not a one-sided affair. He is a real being
constantly striving to develop a relationship
with us. As His children, we are to actively
respond to Him and His love. Even more, we are to
follow His example and treat people we associate
with in a similar manner. Believe me, there is
more truth to the saying like Father, like
son than a simple human example.
Heading Pauls list
of Godlike attributes is love. When Adam was
created, he was given a perfect love, just like
God. When Adam sinned, however, his capacity to
love became limited. Carnal man cannot love his
neighbor like himself, but people who are
born again do have the opportunity
available to them to experience that original
love. Jesus said, love as I have loved
you. (John 13:34) How does this happen?
Romans 5:5 states: And hope does not
disappoint us, because God has poured out his
love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He
has given us. Peter revealed a
wonderful insight into Gods character when
he said: His divine power has given us
everything we need for life and godliness through
our knowledge of him who called us by his own
glory and goodness. Through these he has given us
his very great and precious promises, so that
through them you may participate in the divine
nature and escape the corruption in the world
caused by evil desires. (2 Peter 1:3,4)
You see, as we study about Him, behold His
character, watch how He interacts with human
kind, His divine power is passed on to us through
the Holy Spirit.
Of course, this is
not just a one-sided deal. God will help us, but
He expects us to have a compelling desire to be
like Him. It takes effort! Peter agrees: For
this very reason, make every effort to add to
your faith goodness; and to goodness; knowledge;
and to knowledge, self-control; and to
self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance,
godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness;
and to brotherly kindness, love. (2
Peter 1:5-8) It takes effort to harness our
carnal nature. We have a natural bend toward
sinning it flows out of carnal hearts
almost effortlessly. Habits, good or bad, are
formed by repetitive behavior. Unfortunately, by
the time most of us realize that we have made a
mess of our lives, we have already spent many
years forming bad habits and consequently, making
bad choices. The only way to stop a consistent
habit is to use consistent effort. We know that
successful parenting is the direct result of
consistently setting the parameters. Each time
the child presses the edge of those parameters;
good parents remind the child it is time to
change their behavior. God sent the Holy Spirit
to help parent us. When we make a
commitment to become Gods child, the Holy
Spirit will consistently remind us if we push the
edge of inappropriate behavior. If you are
fortunate enough to have a good friend, you know
that these types of friendships are usually
developed over a long period of time. As you
converse and associate with one another,
friendships become more intimate as you learn to
trust each other and the love you have for one
another. A good friend will always use caution us
if they think we are about to make a bad choice.
In a similar way, our relationship with God
develops with time. As we learn that the Holy
Spirits counsel is never wrong, we learn to
trust Him more.
Unfortunately, few of us
have developed the level of intimacy that allows
us to be comfortable when we are alone with God.
The Holy Spirit, who enables us to develop,
coping abilities, has been treated like a silent
partner, instead of our constant companion.
Therefore, when trials come, we feel
uncomfortable running to the Lord for our
reassurance and solace. To be sure, if the
magnitude of our trial is significant enough and
really touches our soul, we may fall to our knees
and offer up a one-sided prayer. How sad that so
few of us remain on our knees in the silence,
listening for His voice and sensing the Holy
Spirits Presence. What a blessing we miss!
Instead, we run to our friends and loved ones for
advice and comfort. Truthfully, human help is
pitiful at best. People are awkward and rarely
say anything that soothes our emotional needs. In
fact, many of us know very little about how to
deal with stressing situations and would prefer
not to face them with a friend. How long will we
struggle on our own? Our Creator, through the
Holy Spirit, has been with us from birth. He has
seen every emotional upheaval that has shredded
our lives and only He can address our emotional
needs and frustrations. It is rare to find a
person who exhibits true compassion. It is rare
to find a person who has the patience of
Job. It is rare to find a person who loves
unconditionally and is faithful, trustworthy and
honest. Why? Is it that the majority of us are
such a miserable group of people? Is it that we
really do not care? No, I do not think so.
I believe that we have
gotten the horse before the cart. We live in a
society where book learning is highly valued. It
is an age where we run to and fro
making money, keeping appointments, keeping
ourselves entertained and in good physical shape.
Before the age of technology, there was time to
be quiet, gaze at Gods marvelous creation,
and search your soul. Technology may have eased
the drudgery of life in many ways, but it has
also created an environment where people are
addicted to noise. From the moment
most peoples feet hit the floor after a
nights sleep, they are immersed in noise
via the car radio or CD, television, phone calls,
job-related meetings, conversations and on and
on. Satan is clever. He has created the kingdoms
of this world and their operating economies. They
function in such a way that assures him that most
of the human population has very little quiet
time to be with God. He knows that if he can keep
us busy and surrounded by noise, few of us will
be able to hear Gods voice. Job number one
for the born-again believer is to spend time
meditating on gods character, sensing His
presence, and listening for that still small
voice. This was Moses lifeline it
allowed him to have peace, even though those
around him were constantly complaining,
murmuring, and pressing his patience to the
limit. Toward the end of his life, he encouraged
Israel,
Now choose life, so that
you and your children may live and that you may
love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and
hold fast to him. For the LORD is your
life
(Deuteronomy 30:19,20) Jesus
told this parable: the man who enters by
the gate is the Shepard of his sheep. The
watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep
listen to his voice
But they never follow a
stranger; in fact, they will run away from him
because they do not recognize a strangers
voice. (John 10:2-5) We often remember
that Gods people hear His
voice, but we usually stop reading there.
To me, what is more significant about Jesus
remark is that He reveals to us that if we do
this correctly, we will become absolutely
familiar with the Holy spirits inner voice.
Then we will immediately recognize when
another voice that of a
stranger (the devil) tries to lead us
astray. If we spend time contemplating the ways
of God, reading about Jesus life, learning
what the principles of His kingdom are, we will
be prepared for Satans assaults.
You can be sure that if
you make a sincere commitment to take time to
know God, Satan will press into your personal
space. He will do everything to distract you. He
will send people to take your special
time and create circumstances to fill up
your days. He will send trials, attempting to
fill your mind with fears and anxiety, stealing
your peace and faith. 2 Timothy 3:12 makes
it clear: In fact, everyone who wants to
live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be
persecuted. That certainly is a
backhanded promise, isnt it? Why is it
then, that when we make this type of commitment,
we seem startled and unprepared for the
inevitable. It should not surprise us then, when
hardship darkens our door. Jesus tried to warn
us, telling us that the world would hate us.
(John 15:19) He prayed: My prayer is not
that you take them out of the world but that you
protect them from the evil one. They are not of
this world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them
by the truth; your word is truth. (John
17: 15-17) Knowing God, being filled with His
truth, is the only way we can survive the
devils attacks. There is no other way!
Peter was absolutely right! It will take effort
and a heartfelt desire to know God above anything
else in life.
For most of us, the
thought of persecution or a test has very
negative connotations. Some people are so afraid
of trials that they are afraid to follow Jesus.
Yet, if we view it appropriately, a test given by
a Master Teacher can be a very positive tool,
indicating where we may be weak and providing an
opportunity to prepare for the next test, until
we pass. Therefore, if our weakness happens to be
in the area of patience, for example, it is
possible a test will come daily. However, if we
are serious in our desire to be like
Him, then with each test of our patience,
our ability to handle frustrating situations will
become more developed. With His guidance, the day
will come when we pass the test and that
particular discipline will no longer give us
problems.
Luke wrote a
profound statement in Acts 4:13. He wrote: When
they [the elders and leaders] saw the
courage of Peter and John and realized that they
were unschooled, ordinary men, they were
astonished and they took note that these men had
been with Jesus. (Italics mine) Believe
me, if you spend enough time with Jesus, it is
self-evident! Just as people are drawn to Jesus
because of His character, love and words, people
will be drawn to you. There will be something
different about you. John 13:34, 35 says: A
new command I give you: Love one another. As I
have loved you, so you must love one another. By
this all men will know that you are my disciples,
if you love one another. If a converted
Paul had been in the audience that day, he would
have shouted a hearty Amen! His
agreement can be read in Ephesians 5: 1,2 which
says: Be imitators of God, therefore, as
dearly loved children [children who are loved
by their parents want to emulate their parents] and
live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and
gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and
sacrifice to God. Take a moment, open
your Bible and read James 4: 1-12. James was
writing to the believers in Jesus Christ and it
sounds like they were struggling with relatively
the same issues that believer are today
problems with self-control, not enough love and
inappropriate motives. Times have not changed
much. To be truthful, as sin marches on, I am
sure our generation is far more degenerate than
our first century counterpart was. More than
likely, we are far more intolerant and critical
of each others beliefs and actions. But
Paul goes on to say, that if you will
decide to love that person, even if
you disagree, you will gain the fruit
of goodness, righteousness and truth (promised
traits of Gods character) for making that
commitment. How critical it is then, to take our
eyes off each other and concentrate on reflecting
Gods character? It is easy. Not at first.
However, just as consistency pervades when
raising children so does consistent
decision-making prevail when seeking to model
Gods characteristics. Do you see how it
works? Each time you pause before you act,
allowing the Holy Spirit to infuse your mind and
heart with a willingness to follow Gods
lead, your actions to obey will become easier.
Eventually, the intense struggle to love those
people who misuse you will not be so severe. Why?
Because God will do for you, what you cannot do
for yourself. If you are anxious to please God,
you will decide, even in the hard times, to rise
above the situation (just like Moses) and allow
Gods character to shine through you. Even
in the face of injustice, even in the face of
ridicule, even in the face of rejection, the Holy
Spirit will give you the grace to rise above your
situation and love who may be hurting you. This
kind of lifestyle is unearthly it is not
normal. Why should it be? For the
kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and
drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in
the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ
in this way is pleasing to God and approved by
men. (Romans 14: 17,18)
There it is again
a
short summary of Gods personality. The Holy
Spirit longs to instill and develop these traits
within you! Moses knew the secret
teach me Your ways! Do you feel like
the connection with God has become
faint? Allow the Holy Spirit to fan the flames of
familiarity. James encourages us: Listen,
my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who
are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in
faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised
those who love him? James 2:5) Love is
developed over time, spending precious time
getting to know one another. Now is the time to
be intimately acquainted with God, making Him our
number one priority. Then will you be able to say
with a heart overflowing with thankful emotion:
How do I love You, let me count the ways!
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