The Greatest Love Story the World Has Ever Known - Day 42 Through the Bible

The chapel at Quiet Reflections Retreat near Mt. Celo Church. 

Two of the Most Poignant Moments Between God and Mere Mortals

The man, Moses, finds grace in the sight of God for His obedience and love of God and His glory.  The woman, Mary Magdalene, pours very costly oil over Jesus' head in preparation for His burial -a work of love that Jesus blesses as a memorial to her wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world.

We know that Jesus Christ - the Son of God - always pleased the Father (This is my beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased: Matthew 3:17; Matthew 12:18; Matthew 17:5; Mark 1:11; Mark 9:7; Luke 3:22; Luke 9:35; 2 Peter 1:17; Mark 12:6; Luke 20:13.)  The deeply intimate love of Holy God - His desire and love of fellowship with us  - is dramatically portrayed in both the Exodus and Matthew readings today - with a mortal man and a mortal woman.

A Great Love Story - In our Exodus reading, God speaks with Moses "face-to-face as a man speaks to His friend". (Ex. 33:11)  God says that no one can see His face and live, but He talks heart-to-heart with Moses, telling Moses that he has found grace in His sight.  Moses' response:  "If I have found grace in Your sight...show me now Your way...that I may know You..and that I may find grace in Your sight...and consider this nation is Your people." (Ex. 33:13)
My Lesson and Application - Does God's grace and mercy to me - in His salvation through Jesus Christ - elicit this response from me - to ask Him to show me His way, that I may know Him, that I may find grace in His sight, that I might intercede for others - particularly the church?  It is all about Him - and extending that knowledge of Him out into the world.  It is selfless love - love for God and for others.

God's response to Moses...My presence will go with you... and give you rest... because you have found grace in My sight and because I know you by name. (v 14, 17)  Moses' response to God...If you don't go with us, do not bring us up from here...this is how it will be known that we have found grace in Your sight - because You go with us...we will be separate - holy to You...please show me Your glory.  I hope you will re-read Exodus 33:18 - 34: 7 and sense again this deep love between God and Moses - the miracle that Holy God would deign to be so gracious to mortal man.
My Lesson and Application - Have I also found grace in God's sight through my obedience and trust in Him?  Do I ask God to show me His glory?  Do I say to God that I do not want to go anywhere without His presence?  Do I ask this for others - for all believers - not just myself?

The Greatest Love Story the World Has Ever Known...For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16).  This great act of love - to sacrifice His only Son on the cross for our sins - was that we might be made holy in order to fellowship eternally with Holy God.  And, in our Matthew account, the woman pours a very costly oil over this Son's head - as a preparation for His burial.  What the world  - even His own disciples - call a waste (Matt. 26:8) - the Bible calls the deepest kind of love - sacrificial love - agape love.  it is the love of the Cross of Jesus - for you - for me.
My Lesson and Application - My life is my gift back to God for His great sacrificial love for me.  Here is my life, Lord.  Use it for Your glory.

The centre of salvation is the Cross of Jesus, and the reason it is so easy to obtain salvation is because it cost God so much. The Cross is the point where God and sinful man merge with a crash and the way to life is opened – but the crash is on the heart of God.  Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest.

Song:  "Broken and Spilled Out" - Steve Green