“There has never been another prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.” Deuteronomy 34:10 NLT
When people think about you what is the first thing that comes to their minds? What do you want them to think about? What kind of legacy do you want to leave?
I’ve been thinking about Moses. Moses was identified by his relationship with the Lord, not by all the miraculous things he had done or how he led the people. His legacy was intimacy with God. How’s that for a legacy? I want to be identified by my relationship with the Lord more than anything that I do. That’s what I want people to remember. Boy, have I got a long way to go!
Isn’t that the legacy of the “spiritual giants” who have done great things for God? They preached to large crowds but spent hours alone on their knees. They taught the principles that defined their daily actions to lead others into the kinds of relationships that they had with God. That’s why we remember them.
Brother Lawrence, Oswald Chambers, Charles Finney, Eric Liddell, Billy Graham, Jim Elliot, Elisabeth Elliot, Amy Carmichael, Mother Theresa, Joni Erickson Tada and so many others. I’ve read about them or read their words. What is it that attracts me to these people? Not their mighty deeds. It is the deep relationship with Jesus that motivated their works.
When people remember me, I want them to be inspired to spend their energy pursuing His presence in their lives. That’s all that really matters.
What can you and I learn from Moses about intimacy with God?
Intimacy grows through honesty. From the very beginning, Moses was completely honest with God. He even told God to send someone else! Moses didn’t hide from God. He was direct and honest, even when he disagreed with God’s stated plan.
Sometimes we approach prayer afraid that if we are completely honest with God, He will reject or chastise us. So, we tell Him what we think He wants to hear. As if He didn’t already know what was in my heart! It takes more faith to be honest with God than to say the “right” things. Do you have that kind of faith? Being honest with God has done more for me than every “right” prayer collected in an Olympic-sized swimming pool. I wouldn’t go back. Ever.
Intimacy grows through obedience. “As the Lord commanded Moses” is a phrase repeated over and over throughout the first five books of the Bible, those attributed to Moses as author. From the plagues to the Tabernacle to setting Joshua in as the next leader to viewing the Promised Land without crossing over into it, Moses did as the Lord commanded.
Only once did he not do as the Lord commanded. That cost him the Promised Land, but it didn’t cost his relationship with God. He accepted the consequences of disobedience. That is part of obedience. (See Numbers 20:10-13, Deuteronomy 3:23-28)
Obedience costs. It costs my comfort and that is the hardest thing to give up. Obedience always requires me to go beyond the comfortable borders I live within. I like that place. I don’t want to leave it, but I want Jesus more. I guess that is what it comes down to. Do I want my comfort more than I want Jesus? Every venture beyond the borders of Comfort Land has brought me into a country more beautiful and spacious than the one I had known before. I wouldn’t go back. Ever.
Intimacy grows by request. Moses asked God to show Himself. He wanted to know God better. He asked God to show His glory. I can’t think of any Old Testament character, except perhaps David, who asked for anything like that. And what set David apart from every other king? His relationship with God. Do we see a pattern here?
I need to make this request a regular pattern in my life. It seems a bit presumptuous to ask God to show me more of Himself. Yet, I believe it is what He wants. God set a limit on how much of Himself He revealed to Moses. It was for Moses' benefit. God knew what would be good for Moses. What keeps me from asking to experience more of God? He wants me to draw near. It’s time for me to start asking for it. To take that step of adventure, stand on the cliff and jump into asking Him for more of Himself. I don’t want to go back. Ever.
Dear Friend, your goals and successes for God’s glory matter, but they won’t survive the final test of life. What people will remember most about you or me is not what we did, but who we are and who we inspire them to be. Moses was known for his relationship with God and that inspired his people to obey. Sure, they didn’t follow through, but they were changed. They saw what intimacy with God looked like. They had an example worth following even if they didn’t follow it.
I want to grow in intimacy with God so that, if nothing else, I at least point the way to a deeper relationship for those in my circle of influence. I want to leave that kind of legacy.
What about you? Let’s live in such a way that what people remember about us is our relationship with God. Isn’t that the most important legacy?
Key Question: What leads to a legacy of intimacy with God?
A Scripture to Consider: “There has never been another prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.” Deuteronomy 34:10 NLT
A YES Challenge: What do you do to develop your intimacy with God? What changes can you make so that you leave a legacy of intimacy?
Prayer: Father, it was Moses’s intimacy with You that set Him apart from every other prophet in Israel. It wasn’t the mighty works that You did through Him or his leadership skills that were remembered. You knew him face to face. I want that to be what people remember about me. Not my accomplishments, but my relationship with You. Show me how to grow in knowing You. That is the only thing that matters. That is the legacy I want to leave. Amen.
