The Boldness of Moses

Numbers 12:3: "Now the man Moses was very meek, above all men which were upon the face of the earth."

Moses said to God in Exodus 33:13 for Him to "...show me Thy way, that I may know Thee". Mankind has never produced a more daring explorer than Moses. The Phonecians and Norsemen and Magellans and Columbuses and Pilgrims and Lindbergs and Yeagers and Glenns and Armstrongs must all reverently bow before this meekest man of all men as he dares to present himself before the heavenly holy of holies, and boldly asks God to "...show me Your way. Show me Who You are! Show me what You are like! I want You to show Yourself to me! I want to know You. You tell me that I have found grace in Your sight, and yet I do not know Who You are! If I have found grace in Your sight, reveal Yourself to me."

Imagine that! Talk about nerve! Let it never be said that meekness and boldness cannot co-exist, for Moses obliterates such a myth at this point in his relationship with God. And there is not even a hint of reprimand from God to Moses' impassioned demand. In fact, in this instance with Moses and God, as with a good many after it, God seems to invite and reward such bold excursions into His nature. I think that we need to draw a bold line under the statement that God portrays great desire to make Himself known to individuals. He is the God Who ever beckons us to come closer; the God Who invites scrutiny; the God Who wants to reveal Himself; the God Who seeks to share Himself with humankind.

God's immediate response to Moses' impassioned demand is as incredible as the request when He replied, "I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken, for you have found grace in My sight."

It is obvious that this is a private dialogue between God and Moses. Can you beat that? I do not know what an almighty God does as a regular matter, but it has to be wondrously complex and universal in nature.

I say this as reverently as I can, But God has a universe to run, and billions of human beings to care for, and here He is hunkered down and locked into a private chat with a mere mortal who knew how to ring the doorbell of heaven's resident Deity! Sinai's Mountain groaned and writhed in a blazing, jolting, pounding, smoking, quaking cataclysm as He touched down on a fragile, trembling earth. The elements constricted in transformed convulsion as His presence arrived at this untimely summons from a yearning mortal! But He came...and He stood...toe to toe and face to face and heart to heart with a frail mortal who hungrily asked Him Who He was!

Whenever God communes with a mortal...this is grace. When He stoops to communicate with us...this is an act of infinite grace. When He allows our finite, limited minds to meet with His mind, and match our thoughts with His thoughts, and reason with Him...this is an exercise of grace!

Copyright by W.L. Boone.

(Anyone desiring the entire message entitled "The Face of Grace" from which this article is gleaned may receive it by e-mailing me at lesboone@juno.com with your PO mailing address.)

Just a Rock

It is just a small rock. In fact it would be more like a pebble, about the size of a dime. In appearance it looks like ten thousand other pieces of gravel in the parsonage driveway.

I had noticed it before, sitting amid dozens of other kinds of knick knacks on Deloris' kitchen decorative shelving. This is a very prominent setting where she has carefully and selectively placed many of her "valuables" where she - as well as visitors - can admire them from either the living room or the kitchen. Here are her "treasures" - an amber candy dish; a miniature anniversary clock; an onyx burro probably from a mission field; a toy (but real) "sad iron"; a bent, pewter toothpick holder from the ranch. You get the idea... and the list is endless. You probably have some similar place in your home.

But, what on earth is this common, little piece of gravel doing here among Grandma's treasures? So, I asked her, "Honey, why do you have this old-looking, common piece of gravel sitting here?"

"Oh", she rather dreamily responded in the soft tone I have come to know so well. "One of the twins (that would be David or Jonathan) brought this in and gave it to me when they were small. They said that it was pretty and wanted me to have it."

Over all of these years, Grandma not only keeps it, but treasures it and displays it in a prominent place. We all understand that "the pretty piece of gravel" has no monetary or artistic value at all. No one would even pay her a penny for it. But it is precious because it is a loving gift from two little boys with gleaming eyes, spreading smiles and heavenly hearts.

I am thinking now that our dear, heavenly Father has somewhere in His trophy room "pieces of gravel" that you and I have lovingly given to Him throughout our lives - those times and thoughts and acts that came from our hearts just because we loved Him and thought that He would like it, and that they were pretty.

There is no way to enrich a God Who has everything, but He does receive and keep"valuables" from us.

He holds in delight the treasures His children give to Him just because of the love they have in their hearts.

I am guessing that Dave and Jon long ago forgot their gravel gift to their Grandma... but she has not and keeps it as a treasure. I am also thinking - throughout a long eternity - that our gracious, heavenly Father will be bringing out and sharing with us those "little pieces of gravel" that - though we never remembered - we lovingly gave to Him just because we thought He would like them...and He thinks they are pretty!

Copyright by W.L. Boone.

God Doesn't Strut

It is true. Those who know the most, advertise it the least. We are correct to be suspicious of those who promote themselves.

If any person has a right to strut, God does... but He does not. He does not strut because He has nothing to prove. He does not strut because strutting is intended to impress. God is impressive in every aspect of His Person, but He never tries to be impressive.

You have noticed (as I have) that strutting is generally disliked very much! Few of us consider it a positive. Self confidence, yes. A PMA (positive mental attitude), yes. Optimism, yes. Leadership, yes. Success and winning and victory and overcoming, yes. But generally, most of us disdain and reject strutting.

It comes as a surprise to most of our minds that God is characteristically an humble Being, for pride is of satanic origin. Satan's heart was "lifted up with pride" when he sought to be like the Most High (see Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28) and failed in his effort to displace God.

The biggest proof of God's intrinsic humility is in His perfection. A perfect Being needs nothing, cannot evolve, appreciate, develop, mature, age or improve. And yet! He created other beings! Not for Himself, for He needed nothing or no one, but He created other beings to know Him, and have a personal, everlasting relationship with Him.

And the method He used to tell the human family about His great plan of the ages farther proves His humility. He made the connection between Himself and us humans by allowing His divine Son to become one of us, and eventually become the sin sacrifice for us after Satan has plunged us all into helpless lostness.

The Bible explains it all in incredible terms found in Philippians 2:6-11, and I quote from Nestle's Greek New Testament:

"Christ Jesus, Who subsisting in the form of God, deemed it not robbery to be equal with God,
"But emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming in likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man,
"He humbled Himself, becoming obedient unto death, and the death of a cross.
"Wherefore God highly exalted Him, and gave to Him the name above every name,
"In order that in the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of heavenly beings, and earthly beings, and beings under the earth,
"And every tongue should acknowledge that the Lord Jesus Christ is to the glory of God the Father."

The only appropriate response here is to bow and weep before Him in humility, gratitude and submission for doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.

AMAZED!
by W.L. Boone
I am amazed! That God would think of me
When robed in heavenly glory.
That One who wore eternity
Would start the human story.

I am amazed! That he would plan
Beings such as we--
Endowing minds and wills that can
Decide our destiny.

I am amazed! That He would move our way,
Reserving a special place
Within His great and gracious heart--
Room for the human race.

I am amazed! That He who saw it all
And knew the deepest cost;
Looked far beyond our miserable fall
Agreeing to save the lost.

I am amazed! At these great Three
Who sees end from end;
Would effect a plan so perfectly
Designed to be man's friend.

I am amazed! That He would care
Enough to invite the pain --
Long before He started there,
Knew would pierce His heart again.

I am amazed! That He could see
It clearly at the start;
Knowing it would surely be
The blade aimed at His heart.

What kind of God is this
Who suffers in man's place?
What hope? What help? What love? What bliss?
IT'S CALLED AMAZING GRACE!

Copyright by W.L. Boone.

Halos for Hookers

(This is a true story in every detail, but names are substituted for real persons)

Some years past at the dinner table, our daughter, "Thelma", a bank teller at the time, uneasily said, "Papa, I need to talk to you privately - not as a father, but a pastor." Here was her dilemma:

That day her manager had closed the door for privacy after a summons to his office. "This will come as a surprise to you," he said, "but 'Jane' has requested that you be her personal teller." The fact was that this was only the first of two unexpected surprises. The second came close to the level of shocking when he identified "Jane" (a new, but regular customer) as the manager of three, local, well-known massage parlors. "She wants the same teller to handle all of her transactions and has personally asked for you." And with this he amusingly observed that, "Out of all of my tellers, she would have to ask for the preacher's daughter!"

"Thelma" quizzically searched my eyes in earnest expectation, certain that her pastor would bail her out of this seemingly compromising situation.

After a few thoughtful moments, my logical response was that she - and all of the other tellers - regularly received deposts from far more unsavory women than an avowed hooker, but just did not know about it. I observed that "Jane" was admittedly and openly a "professional" who sold her body for money, and, while generally considered a social blight, was at least not a hypocrite. She was what she was known to be - a hooker.

Far worse were the cheating, unfaithful wives (or husbands) who daily came and went from the bank in robes of public respectability, but were in truth carrying on deceitful, adulterous liaisons behind their spouses' backs. Immorality on any level reaps a horrible harvest, but sinks to it's lowest when robed in deception.

Even in a world of admittedly declining morals, nearly all of us value and respect integrity, and reject hypocrisy. In most cultures of the world we regard genuineness as the most desired trait in any person, and insist that only in honesty can true relationships occur and endure.

A puzzle about illicit lovers persists to any thoughtful mind. How can a cheater be trusted?

Copyright by W.L. Boone