Face to Face

Deuteronomy 34:10-12 Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, 11 who did all those signs and wonders the LORD sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. 12 For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.

     There are a few times in human history when a singular person has such a large impact on the course of history that their names is remembered. For most us us our names will be forgotten within three generations after out death.
     There are two ways to get on the "names remembered long after death" list. Hitler probably will make it on the list as will Mother Theresa. Exceptionally good people and notoriously bad people. They both make it on the list. But it is a very short list.
     I am pretty confident that I will not make it on the list. Other than my family and a few people I have encountered through the years, I will be forgotten, or already am forgotten. I really am a very insignificant person.
     But insignificant doesn't mean without tremendous worth. But I'll get back to this.
     Moses made it on the list, not because of who he was, but because of whose he was. The LORD had captured Moses' heart and soul. Moses tried to give excuses for not stepping into all the LORD had for him, but the LORD wouldn't accept any excuses.
     But what really set Moses apart was the intimate encounters he had with the LORD. He had met the LORD and seen Him face to face. He performed signs and wonders, miracles and judgements, but those are not what set him apart. He had seen the LORD face to face and lived.
     And those encounters had changed Moses. He was not the same person he was when he started on his journey. The LORD had shaped and molded him. He had yielded to the LORD's hand and will. He did so willingly.
     Will your life be marked by encounters with the LORD and your responses of obedience? Will reading your history be punctuated by the LORD. Or will it be a history of you?
     We all have choices to make that shape the future. What kind of future do you want? Obedience and surrender are your best path toward worth. You are of infinite value and worth. That was proven when Jesus died in YOUR place. Now live like it!

Hands On

Mark 10:13

      Most parents want what is best for their children. However, often times what they think is best is not really the best. Many parents want to spare their children from all pain and suffering, thinking it will protect them and help them to grow up.

      One example of the over-protection came out in the news recently. A study found that households that used more sanitizing solutions around the house and with their children, that those children were sicker in the long run than households that didn’t over sanitize. It appears that kids need to get small sicknesses in order for their immune system to develop properly. They need to eat dirt! Well, maybe not, but you get the picture.

      Kids need to learn to push and shove, and how it feels to be pushed and shoved by another. They need to be on both ends of the equation, pusher and pushed. It helps to build empathy, an essential element in all human relationships. We need to learn how the other person feels by feeling it ourselves.

      Some parents were bringing their children to Jesus one day. They recognized that Jesus was someone special, that His touch did something to those on the receiving end. They wanted their children to get the benefit of His touch. It sounds like they were great parents, wanting what was best for their children. Who could fault them for that? The disciples did.

      The disciples saw this action by these parents and didn’t understand it. They wanted to put a stop to it immediately. I am not sure why. Did they think the kids were not worth bothering with, that Jesus was wasting His time with them? Were they jealous of Jesus’ attention? Had they bought into the values of their day, the values Jesus was going to challenge? We don’t know. We do know they tried to stop the parents.

      It seems as if the children were relatively healthy children, no mention of healing is given. These were not desperate parents with children dying of chronic diseases or conditions. It seems as if these were pretty spunky kids. I get the picture of these kids running and jumping on Jesus, dog pile style. I see a smiles and giggles abounding. I don’t picture a scene like Santa Claus at the mall, slowly waiting in line with the disciples playing the part of the helpful elves.

      And Jesus blesses them, not from a distance, not with a word, but with His hands on them. This is a person, involved, interactive experience. Jesus didn’t wave His hand for silence, stand up and wave His hand in some grand gesture of blessing. He is not apart from them. He is right there, putting His hands on them and blessing them.

      I like have a God who puts His hands on me and blesses me. Some days I feel as if I am in the palm of His hand, His blessing being so evident in my life. It can be overwhelming to realize all the blessings He pours out on me. I am blessed.