While in Thailand, in Bangkok, in Pattaya, and again in Nakhon Si Tammarat, the message that came forth –not planned, but revealed by the Holy Spirit–was the necessity to see the glory of God for true authentic change.
I hadn’t planned this. I hadn’t come with this message. In fact, I was barely able to come at all, having been so sick for four weeks prior to the trip. But here, humbled, healed, and in awe of God, the message came.
Without a new experience in the glory of God, we are powerless to enter into the new and powerless to let go of the old. In Bangkok, the message brought an honesty and sobriety in our utter dependence on God to reveal Himself to us, for us to move forward, and for change to come.
Moses had spent so much time in the glory of God—but Israel hadn’t. Within a few weeks, Moses’ absence, and Israel’s fears, led to a golden calf becoming Israel’s mascot (idol) to journey forward. God was furious, and so was Moses. The Lord told Moses that He would send an angel to bring the children of Israel into their promise, but He Himself would not go with them.
This was really bad news.
In Moses’ famous prayer, found in Exodus 33 and 34, He asks to be shown the Lord’s way in order to know Him and find grace for the future. The Lord promised His Presence would go with Moses and give him rest. Moses replied that if His presence didn’t go with them then he didn’t want to be carried further. For he stated, that without the Lord’s Presence Israel would be like all the nations of the world, and not separate without His presence and without His favor. The Lord promised to do this too, because Moses had found grace in His sight, and the Lord knew Him by name.
Now Moses asked for everything. He said, “Please, show me your glory.” The Lord said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and proclaim the name of the Lord before you.” Exodus 33:18, 19
Moses humbled himself before the Lord by acknowledging that he could not go into the future unless he saw the Lord’s glory. The next day, on top of the mountain, the Lord descended in a cloud. As He passed by Moses He proclaimed His name,
“The Lord, the Lord God, merciful, and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and fourth generation.” Exodus 34:6, 7
Moses made haste to worship God inside this experience, inside His glory! There, Moses asked that if he had found grace in the Lord’s sight, for Him to go among Israel, even though they are stubborn, and to pardon their iniquity and sin, and to take Israel as His inheritance.
There, God made covenant. He declared new things that had never been done before to be done among them. He gave their future, inside His promise, and commanded for their protection from further idolatry. A new day had dawned for Moses. His next season of ministry and leadership had been given within God’s glory. Moses was transformed. He knew the Lord’s way, had found new grace in His sight and the promise of His presence and rest. The Lord had known Moses by name. He had revealed Himself to Moses inside His glory, by proclaiming His name. Though there would be many trials to come, Moses’ face shown and his vision was clear. The tabernacle would be built and their journey continued.
Throughout Thailand, I confessed that I cannot go forward without a new experience inside the Lord’s glory. In my honesty, the Holy Spirit’s ministry, hearts opened to admit the same and prayer rose.
Please—show me Your glory.
