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I’ve been thinking a lot about holiness lately…the holiness of God and the holiness he calls us to live as his image-bearers. I’ve thought of the image of Moses’ face shining (Exodus 34:29, 35). Some people like to say that Moses put the veil over his face because he didn’t want people to see the glow fading. Perhaps. But I like to look at it another way. Moses met with God in the very presence of his holiness. Moses was the only one in all of Israel for whom this right was reserved. He was the only one given the privilege to have a shining face.
We, today, because of the redemptive power of the Son of God, are able to meet personally with God. Christ’s death signaled the new covenant: the curtain to the holy of holies was torn (Matt 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45), signaling for the first time in history, and the rest of time through eternity, the freedom of believers to meet with God without a mediator. We get to meet with God even more frequently than Moses, who had to go into a tent to commune with Him. But we, in Christ, have the blessing and honor to wear the glory of God on our faces because we can walk with Him constantly. I want that. I want the holiness of God to shine on my face because I’m constantly communing with Him. And I want it for others who know Him. And I want others to know Him so they can wear His light on their faces.
Draw me into Your presence, Most Holy and High God, that I might wear some of Your glory for the world to know Your holiness and Your love.
“19 And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. 20 By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. 21 And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, 22 let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.” Hebrews 10:19-22
Tonight I dropped off Edwin at the Mexico border. Edwin’s on his way with a team to help fight the sex industry in Acapulco. He’s doing surveillance, and a team of professionals will move in to stop the traffickers, if they’re able to identify them. I’m proud of Edwin for all he does for the Lord, and while this blog could be about the horrors of trafficking, I’m thinking of another issue…trust.
Tonight I left my husband at the Mexico border, and tonight I am learning a new kind of trust in God. While in the days leading up to his departure I have been tempted to fear and worry for Edwin’s safety…heck, who am I kidding. I wasn’t just tempted, I succumbed to it and fretted and worried all week. But tonight I am a bit more at ease; I’m resting in the promises of an eternally good God who is everywhere present.
Even more, I am learning just a bit of what my parents have faced as they’ve seen me off to various countries to do mission work. Not to mention the trusting they’ll be doing when we move to the Philippines for a few years.
So now I’m forced to put into action the faith and trust I’ve asked my parents to have for years. And I’m remembering that the hand of God is steady and sure, and he will hold my Edwin just as he holds and has held me.
