Face To Face

I love chatting to people, but there is nothing quite like talking face to face.  I often find myself saying, "I haven't seen you in ages!" even if I have spoken to someone on the phone recently, or have been texting or emailing them.

 

There is something about seeing someone face to face.

 

When we are face to face with someone, we can see their reactions.  We can read their thoughts and see their emotions.  We can hear the pauses in their conversation and the changing tone in their voices.  There is something different about being close enough to someone to look into their eyes.

 

It creates intimacy and allows for authenticity.  It's harder to pretend you're fine when someone can look into your eyes and see that you're not.

 

The Bible says that Moses enjoyed this privilege in speaking to God face to face:

"The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend."

[Exodus 33:11 NIV]

 

Often we can feel as though we couldn't look God in the face, because we are too sinful or ashamed or guilty.  We think that if He looked into our eyes, He would be disappointed.  But through Jesus, we can have a close and intimate relationship with God. 

 

We can talk to Him face to face.

 

Paul describes this beautifully in his letter to the Corinthians:

 

"God said, 'Light up the darkness!' and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful."

 

[2 Corinthians 4:6 MSG]

 

We see God's love for us when we gaze into the face of Christ. But we have to choose to spend time with Him, talking face to face.

 

And as we look into the face of Christ, we see and understand that God is not disappointed in us, or ashamed of us.  He is delighted in us and rejoices over us.

 

 

 

 

Layers

I have just finished making a pass the parcel and it has brought back many memories.

 

The anticipation as the parcel makes its way towards you.  The question of whether to hold on to the parcel for the chance of getting to unwrap it, or to pass it as quickly as possible on to the next person.  The fear if it is one of those parcels with dares inside it.  The excitement as the paper gets thinner and thinner and the sweets in the middle seem ever closer.

 

I love unwrapping things and the idea of doing it layer by layer always intrigues me as the anticipation and excitement builds with each layer.

 

Sometimes I think God reveals aspects of Himself to us layer by layer.  If we were to experience all there is of God in one go, we wouldn't be able to cope.  We see stories in the Bible of people not being able to look directly at God because it is too much.

 

Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”

And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 

But," he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”

[Exodus 33:18-20 NIV]

 

As we listen to talks or chat with others about the goodness of God, we begin to develop a deeper understanding of who He is.  We begin to peel back more layers of His character.

 

And as we read the Bible, we experience the same thing.  The Bible describes itself like this - 

"For the word of God is living and active."

 

[Hebrew 4:12 NIV] 

 

That's how we can read the same passages in the Bible over and over and find something different each time.  That's how we can keep walking with God and not get tired, because there is always something new to discover.

 

There is always something new to uncover and reveal, because we are not learning finite facts, but are entering into a relationship with a living God.

 

There is always another layer.