Daily devotion – On my face before God.
On My Face Before God
As we walk with Moses in our study of the book of Exodus, take a moment to think of the responsibility God gave to Moses, in order to see the children of Israel literally walk out of slavery and Egypt.
In my early years of pastoring, Helen and our family went through some very tough times.
I remember teaching through the book of Numbers some 35 odd years ago and learning a great lesson from this amazing man Moses. Things were very difficult for Moses, both in Egypt with Pharaoh and then later in the wilderness wanderings with the children of Israel.
Over and over, a truth that ministered deeply to me was this: “…and Moses fell on his face before the Lord.”
Num 14:5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.
Num 16:4 And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face:
Num 16:22 And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?
Num 16:45 Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.
Num 20:6 And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto them.
Falling on my face before the Lord became part of the training that God built into my life as we faced trial after trial. Coming to the very end of myself, with nothing left in the tank, completely beaten and exhausted, I found myself like Moses — constantly on my face before the Lord.
There are times and seasons in our lives when we are beaten down, “cooked,” and simply out of steam. Yet those very moments can become the doorway that brings us into complete surrender before the Lord. Empty of self, broken of pride, and laid low before Him — it is there that His comfort, love, mercy, and strength begin to minister to us in a way unlike anything else.
It was in that place, prostrate before Him, that I experienced the wonder of His agape love and the sustaining power of His grace.
May I encourage you not to fear falling on your face before the One who loves you most.
In the Gospels, it is the very same place where we continually find Mary, the sister of Martha — at the feet of Jesus.
Luke 10:39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.
John 11:32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
John 12:3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair.
I pray you will find that same “place” that Moses and Mary knew so well. For it is there, low before Him, surrendered and seeking, that we discover the greatness of God’s love, the tenderness of His presence, and the strength that only He can give.