His presence shook the mountain and do we even know what it is to be shaken by the very presence of God? That was my first thought as I opened this chapter. And then I kept reading and and found myself undone by the fourth verse:
“You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.”
He is always bringing us, inviting us, calling us to Himself.
From that first moment when He drew Adam’s face to His to give him the breath of life, He has been drawing us. It occurs to me that I’ve always thought it was me wanting His nearness while all along He wanted mine.
That shakes things in me up a bit.
Come, follow Me.
Come to Me all who are weary.
When I am lifted up I will draw all men to Myself.
Draw near to God.
Seek My face.
Return to Me.
Words spoken by the God who is always inviting us to Himself and I haven’t seen it until now.
God had Moses remind the people that He had rescued them and brought them to Himself and He reminded me that He did the same thing for me. Rescued me from the dominion of darkness and brought me into the Kingdom of His Son. (Colossians 1:13) Because that is who He is and that is what He does and sometimes I start thinking He is reluctant toward me and I don’t even realize that my vision of Him has been blurred.
I’ve been looking at chapter 19 for days. Hearing the thunder and lightning in my mind, wondering at such glory. And just like He taught me, I searched for His heart in this place and I found it in something He said and now, in the darkness of 5:30 a.m., I’m weeping at what I found. What I knew but had forgotten.
He has brought me to Himself and this is where He wants me to stay. It is the constant invitation set before me, to come to Him. To know that the first calling on my life is to Him. Always to Him. Apart from Him I can do nothing and the beautiful truth is that God does not want me to be apart from Him. He is ever drawing me, never pushing me away. And I am aware that it is an intellectual truth I’ve known, but a spiritual reality that I have doubted.
When God set His people free from Egypt, He did not carry them to the promised land, He carried them to Himself. And then He led them all the way to the place He had promised them. And my goodness, could the picture be any clearer? Their rescue is my rescue and their journey is my journey because their God is my God and His heart for them is the same heart for me.
Before He called me to anything, He called me to Him, and I have no desire to ever get over it.
Karla Jo Wasion 