I have a friend who has wounds so deep that she resists the compassionate love of others. Caring people have reached out to my friend. They would give their lives for her (in fact, in many ways they’ve done precisely that). Yet she runs from their love. She fears being loved. The love offered to her is so strong, and her heart so weak, that it terrifies her. It seems safer just to stay in her cocoon.
Moses had faced much loss. His first days out of the womb were traumatic; he was rescued from a murderer. Then he was separated from his family and raised in Pharaoh’s house. Finally, he had to flee after he killed an Egyptian who was beating one of his Hebrew brethren.
Now, years later, the Scripture says Moses was in the wilderness. This word described the geography, but it also described Moses’ life. He was far from home, far from his people, far from his normal life.
In this wild place, Moses happened upon a burning bush, a bush that remarkably didn’t burn up! Moses drew closer. A voice cried out from the burning bush, “Moses! Moses!” (Exodus 3:4) He took another step, and the voice thundered: “Do not come any closer. . . . Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground” (Exodus 3:5).
As if this wasn’t enough to rattle the man to the core, the voice then introduced Himself as the God of his ancestors! Moses stood in the presence of the Almighty. His response? “He covered his face because he was afraid” (Exodus 3:6).
God had come to Moses and would compassionately care for him—just as He had done for decades. As He comes to us today, may we be open to His strong love.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Genesis 6:9-22
More:
Read Exodus 3:11-14 again. Why was Moses afraid to go back to Egypt? What was God’s answer to his fear?
Next:
Does the idea of an encounter with the Almighty make you tremble in any way? What is it about God’s power or love that terrifies you?
Gary Shultz on January 4, 2015 at 6:28 am
Strong it is, and strong it should be. A place of safety is the knowledge of its strength. And the kindness of the love is in it’s strength. How wonderful; God knows how to tailor just the right amount of each of His powers to meet us where He knows we should be. He knows how much for who, at the right time, for all the right reasons. Strong and loving care from a strong and loving God. “Oh, how He loves you and me.” Thanks
Winn Collier on January 4, 2015 at 6:58 am
strong love indeed.
gary1schelvan on January 4, 2015 at 8:25 am
Hello Winn, fellow ODB writer. The way your post started out, I really feel for your friend, I have so much compassion for her suffering. Is your friend a believer, a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ? The answer to her being so extremely closed up, is of course the all encompassing love of Jesus, the sacrifice that he made for her as well as the rest of us. She may feel it safer in her “cocoon”, but in reality she is in a dark prison with walls around her that keep all others out. If she could acknowledge the sacrificial love of Jesus, He can and will knock down those walls, let the warmth and sunshine of His love into her “cocoon.” Just as a butterfly emerges from it’s cocoon beautiful and free, so too your friend will emerge one day transformed to be free from her “cocoon.” I will pray for her to let His love free her.
daisymarygoldr on January 19, 2015 at 8:03 pm
Posts like this that present a personal perspective of people or passages in scripture, clearly indicate a lack of God’s Spirit and the work of a different spirit. Moses faced loss, had a traumatic life that made Him to resist the compassionate love of God is merely man’s assumption.
The Holy Spirit inspired men to present an entirely different picture of Moses. He was born—a beautiful child in God’s eyes. Oppressed by the king of Egypt, Hebrew parents were forced to abandon their newborn babies so they would die. But Moses was fortunate as his parents cared for him at home for three months. All the boys born during his time experienced tragic loss of life by being thrown into the river. However, the life of Moses was kept safe within the ark. Pharaoh’s daughter had compassion on him and raised him as her own son. Moses had the privileges of a prince growing up in the royal palace, received the best education, and was powerful in both speech and action (Exodus 2; Acts 7).
So why was Moses afraid? He was not afraid of God but to “look” at God. In fact, God covered Moses with His hand while He passed by. What creature can stand in the glorious presence of the Creator? The seraphim standing above the throne of God covered their faces with their wings. Even John the beloved disciple who used to lean on Jesus’ bosom fell down as a dead man when he saw the glorified Christ in the vision on the isles of Patmos.
God Himself states, “No one can see me and live (Exodus 33:20). And I am no exception. Certainly I’d be terrified at the sight of God. My personal prayer to the Lord is that I don’t want to be sleeping in my grave when Christ comes back for His church but remain alive so as to be able to see Him in the air. And His promise to change our mortal bodies into immortal bodies greatly comforts me.
For, even though “He has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears, we do know that we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He really is. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as He is pure.” Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.