Moses- Face to Face; Friend to Friend

Right at 40 years ago is when I first fell in love with the Old Testament of the Bible. Before that, I enjoyed hearing the stories & then as I grew up, the people became real & the love story from God changed my life. By far, one of my favorite characters is Moses. Exodus through Deuteronomy are the books in the Old Testament that house his story & life, so re-reading it always touches my heart & sets me back in the direction I want to go whenever I get side-tracked in my life.

Moses was very, very close to God & got to spend time alone with Him up on the mountain. He led God's people through the wilderness & wanted to take them all the way into the Promised Land, but that was not to be. Moses' plan & God's plan didn't quite match up, so Moses submitted to God through all those many years, until his death in the wilderness. But, he was blessed beyond words in his relationship with his God!

Moses was leading the people through the desert & in one part of the story, God became so angry at their disobedience, He is just going to leave them to fend for themselves there. Moses begs God to stay with them, for he knew they were nothing without Him. In Exodus 33, there's the sweetest picture God gives of Himself & Moses that I go to a lot these days as I face my own death. Moses would pitch his tent outside the camp each night & the Lord would come to the door of his tent. "God would speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend." The people would stand at the doorways of their own tents in amazement & worship from afar but they knew of the love Moses & God share!

God showed Himself to His people & constantly provided for them. These books in the Bible are part of His love story for all of us who choose to be His children. His provision was sufficient for every day & He showed part of His glory to Moses (for he couldn't take knowing it all), that was compassion, grace, being slow to anger & abounding in lovingkindness & truth. God is all of these things toward me!

The story of Moses encourages my soul these days since Moses was pulled between here & there. He wanted to be with his people & lead them to the land God promised them, but he also was at utter peace with His God whom he loved so deeply.

Part of my deep sorrow in the journey I walk is leaving people here whom I love so deeply. It's always hardest to be the ones left behind. I grieve for my family & all the people who love me & have to stay here. You have to wake up each day & carry on with life & it will be hard, at times. The one planning for a trip & leaving with anticipation has it much easier, like me. I think my part in this journey is really the easiest of all since I know exactly where I'm going & am giddy with excitment at seeing Him face to face. Talking with Him friend to friend is what I've wanted my whole life! I even have a long list of loved ones already in heaven waiting on me for huge hugs & long conversations! (You know long conversations are in the mix!) I even have my own child lost during pregnancy many years ago that awaits me in heaven! God will see to it that there will be pure & complete joy for me. Pure & complete knowledge, pure & complete peace!

I'm feeling good right now & the medicines I'm given are managing pain nicely, but I can also feel the slight growth of tumors & understand some of the continuous signs of what's happening within me physically. Like Moses, I live knowing exactly where I stand with God & knowing (unless He says otherwise) I will not live a long time with "my people". (I in no way compare myself to Moses... just looking at some similarities in his life that help me in mine.)

So, as the journey continues, I look to God's people, like Moses. Moses followed, he trusted, he failed, he was loved, he grieved, he was real. At the end of his physical life, he was victorious with God & God was faithful to His people. God never left them alone in the desert & provided new leadership. God continued to love & gave His people their land just like he promised. Moses was not there, but God was. That's all that matters... that God is there!

Blessings!