God of presence and promise,
You tell Moses to lead the people onward,
that the land You swore to their fathers
will still be theirs
but You will not go up among them,
for they are a stiff necked people.
The blessing remains,
but without Your nearness.
And suddenly the promise feels empty.
The people mourn.
No one puts on ornaments,
for without You, beauty means nothing.
Moses takes the tent of meeting
and pitches it far outside the camp.
There, You speak with him face to face,
as a man speaks with his friend.
There, Moses prays not for ease,
but for intimacy.
“If Your presence does not go with us,
do not bring us up from here.
How will it be known that we are Yours
unless You go with us?”
And You answer,
“My presence will go with you,
and I will give you rest.”
But Moses presses further
“Show me Your glory.”
And You, in mercy,
agree to let Your goodness pass before him,
to proclaim Your name,
to cover him in the cleft of the rock
as Your glory passes by.
He will see Your back,
but not Your face
for the fullness would consume him.
Lord, make me desperate for You like that.
Let me count every promise as nothing
if it comes without Your presence.
Keep me from settling for blessings
when I could have You.
Hide me in the cleft
the refuge of Christ
that I might see as much of Your glory
as this frame can bear
until the day I see You face to face.
In the name of Jesus,
the One who is God with us
and the full radiance of Your glory,
Amen.