Believing God

Exodus 33:12 – 17
Moses said to the Lord, "See, you have said to me, "Bring up this people'; but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, "I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.' Now if I have found favor in your sight, show me your ways, so that I may know you and find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people." God said, "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." And Moses said to him, "If your presence will not go, do not carry us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people, unless you go with us? In this way, we shall be distinct, I and your people, from every people on the face of the earth." The Lord said to Moses, "I will do the very thing that you have asked; for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name."


Moses is frustrated. He is calling on God to make good on the promises made to him. He is also asking God to show a little cause and effect. In other words, I think Moses is saying, "So God, I have found favor in your sight? That's great. Can I get a little action over here? I'm feeling awfully alone and it looks to others like maybe we have been making you up all this time. Seriously, God, if we are your nation, then come with us. If you aren't planning on coming with us then I'd rather stay where we are. I can't do this without you. I won’t do this without you."

Isn’t it comforting to know that it isn’t just us? Do you find relief of mind and heart that, for Moses, believing God sometimes meant asking for a little evidence? That probably doesn’t sound very spiritual, does it? Asking God for evidence sounds like a lack of faith. But here was Moses, a great person of God, chosen by God to be a leader saying, “Now if I have found favor in your sight, show me your ways.” Show me what you are going to do, God. And make your presence known so that we don’t look like fools.

After God agrees to all that Moses requests, Moses takes it a step farther. In verse 18 Moses asks to see God’s glory. Moses wants to see God. With his eyes. Not an angel. Not a miracle. Moses wants to see God up close and personal. God’s reply? “No one can see me and live. But I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by; then you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen.”

God didn’t get mad, which is known to happen throughout the Bible. God didn’t say forget about it, which is known to happen throughout the Bible. God says, okay, but we will do it my way.

Is it lack of faith that prompts such requests? Or is it abundant faith that believes God will respond to such requests? Maybe it depends on the motivation of the person and the specific circumstance. All I know is that God responded to Moses favorably. What then does it mean to believe God? Maybe Paul can help us.

Philippians 1:1 – 11
Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God's grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.

What catches my attention in this passage the most is when Paul says, “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work amoung you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.” God will finish what God began. Paul is confident!

How often have we started a project and then realized that it was bigger or harder than we thought? Paul wants the Philippians to know that even if what they are doing is bigger and harder than they thought it would be, that God knew how big and hard the project was when it was started. The Philippians are to trust God’s ability and loyalty so that they can finish what they began. They need to be confident with Paul. They need to remember with Paul who it was that began the good work amoung them. By remembering God’s good work amoung them at the beginning they can believe God for a successful completion.

Paul is also telling them that God is with them from beginning to end. God did not start the work just to watch them finish from a distance. God is as devoted to the work as they are. Just like God promised to be present to Moses, Paul is promising that God is present from beginning to end. But the Philippians still have to believe. They have to remember with Paul and believe that it was God who started with them. If they agree that it was God who began the good work, then they have to believe that God wants to finish the work with them.

It is easy to remember the good work of the past and to think … ah, the good old days. Do you remember when this was wonderful and that was wonderful? Wouldn’t it be great if it were like that again? Sometimes these memories are good and important just to have for their own sake. But to look on those memories only to be sad about the present diminishes the possibilities of the present.

I do believe that there are times to grieve what never will be again. We must acknowledge these losses and mourn. And then I think it’s important to lift our heads up and look at what we have now. Paul is helping the Philippians do just that.

The Philippians seem to be having a tough time. They started out strong but now hard things are happening. Not the least of these things is what is going on with Paul himself. He is in prison. Paul started the church in Philippi. They have remained quite close. When the church found out that Paul was in prison they sent Epaphroditus with a gift from them. As a response to that gift Paul sends this letter back with Epaphroditus. He knows that they love him. He loves them too and he knows how hard it is for them that he is in prison. He also knows that they are under pressure too. Being a follower of Jesus as the Christ was risky business for everyone. They had opponents just as Paul did.

“I am confident,” Paul says, “that the one who began the good work in you will bring it to completion.” Paul is in jail for preaching the gospel. While in jail he is encouraging his church because they are worried about him and they are experiencing persecution. In all of this, where does Paul get his confidence? Unlike Moses, he isn’t asking to see God. Well, that might be because he has seen God.

In the middle of Acts we read about Paul who was at that time called Saul. He was persecuting the church with much enthusiasm and with the backing of the chief priests. Acts 9 tells the story of his conversion. “Meanwhile, Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ Saul asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.’”

Saul ended up temporarily blind because of this experience. While it doesn’t say explicitly that Saul saw God, it is inferred when the story talks about what happened with his traveling companions. “The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one.” This implies that Saul saw someone. The voice speaking to him said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”

Another person who saw God, although in a different way, was Thomas. Do you remember that he doubted the resurrection? Who can blame him? He was in deep grief. He loved Jesus. How awful that he happened to be gone the first time that Jesus appeared to his friends in his resurrected form. Thomas said, “Unless I see for myself I will not believe.” That seems only fair to me.

The next week Jesus returned. Thomas was there. Jesus said to him, “Put your fingers in my wounds and believe. Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen me and yet have come to believe.”

Believing although not seeing. This is the challenge of most people in the church. Moses saw the backside of God. Paul saw the ascended form of Jesus, although I’m guessing in a very small dose. God told Moses that no one can see God and live. Paul was only struck blind. These great people of God seem to have such an advantage over us. And yet, Jesus is talking right to us when he tells Thomas, “Blessed are those who have not seen me and yet have come to believe.”

Last week we talked about visioning and dreaming. I encouraged us to pray and receive the visions and dreams that God gives us. I want us to not be afraid of change, to love people of all stripes, and to offer our ministry without restraint. To do that, we have to have some kind of anchor in our soul, even if it’s only a kernel of solid belief. Jesus told his disciples that if they had faith only the size of a mustard seed they could say to the mountain, “Be moved!” and it would be moved.

Just like Moses, we can feel frustrated, lonely and exhausted in our ministry. We may need to ask for evidence like Moses did. We may need encouragement like the Philippians. We may long to see Jesus like Thomas. Whatever place you are I can tell you this: I am confident like Paul that the work the Holy Spirit has begun in us will be brought to completion by this same Holy Spirit through us.

What is your anchor of belief? Where have you seen God? What can you return to at the times when your present situation feels frustrating or when you feel alone or overwhelmed? I think it’s important to be able to identify your anchor of belief, the kernel of faith that helps you stay centered and strong. I don’t like to leave inspiration and motivation to chance, hoping that I’ll remember in my time of need. That is like hoping you’ll find a good sturdy rope and something heavy enough to tie it to when your ship is drifting. It is good to know what your anchor is and where it can be found.

Your anchor might be a memory of seeing the evidence of God in your life or someone else’s life? It could be a deep knowing in your spirit. It could come from prayer, music, walking in the woods, going to church, or any number of other things. Knowing our anchor of belief is one way of opening up a space in our souls so that we have room for dreams and visions.

Believing God isn’t just some spiritual gift that some people have and others don’t. Just like any relationship, we need to cultivate our trust in God. We need to know in our souls that God is faithful and loyal. Our believing in God in response is a way to be faithful and loyal in return.

It is okay to call out to God like Moses did, asking for some kind of assurance. That is still an act of believing God. When we call out wanting a response we are doing so with some kind of faith that indicates a response is possible. It is important to remember the strength of the past sometimes so that we can be confident in the future.

Talk to God in real terms. Don’t worry about being religious or spiritual. Tell God what you need, what you long for, and how you are feeling. This is one way to open up your soul for the dreams and visions that we need as we move forward.

Believing God comes in many forms. What does it look like when you are believing God?