Inspiring After-Effects

“[Moses] persevered because he saw Him who is invisible.”
Hebrews 11:27 (NIV)

Have you ever been exasperated and felt ready to quit? That’s how Moses felt when he found out the Israelites had been worshiping a golden calf while he was on a mountain, talking with God. The legendary leader was so angry, he threw the stone tablets upon which were written the Ten Commandments, smashing them to pieces at the base of Mount Sinai.

Moses was exhausted and frustrated by the burden of leading God’s people and He was hungry for a deeper understanding of God’s power and goodness.  In Exodus 33:18, Moses boldly asked the Lord, “Now show me your glory.” In other words, Moses desired to know God more fully. He wanted to experience more of God’s presence than he had encountered before. God graciously granted His passionate servant's request. He said, 

"There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back, but my face must not been seen” (Exodus 33:21-23).

I’d like to suggest that God’s phrasing actually illustrates the way we see His active presence manifested today. We don’t see God’s glorious presence revealed before He acts. Just as Moses only was allowed to see God’s back, we only see the after-effects of His glory.

You don’t see Him thundering down from heaven before you get the cancer diagnosis. You see the after-effects of His glory when you come through the treatments and hear the words, “cancer free.” His work on your wayward son’s heart may not be visible to you for years, but you recognize the after-effects of His active presence when your boy quietly walks through the doors of your church sanctuary one Sunday and slips into the seat beside you. You don’t see the light of His presence shining in your daughter’s dorm room as you fearfully pray for God to somehow supply the funds for her college education. You see the after-effects of His glory as she walks across a stage sporting her cap and gown and receives her diploma. You don’t see God’s active presence heading in your direction; you see “His back,” the after-effects of our Lord’s extraordinary glory.

When you feel frustrated and want to quit, ask God to show you His glory, as Moses did. Ask Him to make His active presence more real to you. Then be sure to share the after-effects of His glory with fellow followers of Christ. It is glimpses of His awe inspiring glory that enable us to persevere as Moses did and fulfill our God-given purposes.

Let's encourage one another through whatever struggles we are facing today. What after-effects of our Lord’s active presence are evident in your life?

Adapted from Eyewitnessto Glory: Moses, Discerning God’s Active Presence (Chattanooga, TN; AMG Publishers, 2014),129.

You Are a Woman of God - Video Post

My newest bible study, Eyewitness to Glory: Moses - Discerning God's Active Presence, released just last week and I'm excited to share a little teaching from the study with you by video blog post today.

Dear Sisters-in-Christ, it does not matter what has happened in your past or what credentials you carry (or lack!), by virtue of your relationship with the Son of God, you can be remembered as a woman of God.

Embrace your new identity in Christ. He adores you. He died for you. He has equipped and anointed and empowered you. You are a spirit-filled woman of God and He intends to reveal His glory to the world through you!

I can't wait to see what He has planned. Please let me know how He manifests His active presence in and through you, Dear One, by posting a comment. I will celebrate with you.

With love,
Mindy



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Live as You Want to be Remembered

If your time on earth were to end today, what would you want your epitaph to say?  

I asked myself that question as I was finishing my soon-to-be released Bible study: Eyewitness to Glory: Moses: Discerning God’s Active Presence. As I read the final chapter of Moses’ story, I was struck afresh by the remarkable epitaph in Scripture, honoring Israel’s reluctant, yet powerfully effective leader:

Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, who did all those miraculous signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel. (Deuteronomy 34:10-12 NIV)

Available in Bookstores
June 13, 2014

Moses was chosen to free the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and along that journey, he became an eyewitness to the glory of God. The stammering, often-reluctant-follower of God was compelled to continue despite his personal sense of unworthiness and the many obstacles and hardships he faced along the way. “He persevered because he saw Him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27).

Moses clearly made mistakes along his journey. Everyone does. But, because Moses obediently served the Lord despite his inadequacies and fears, God was ultimately glorified through Moses’ obedience and leadership. His epitaph serves as a reminder of what God can do in the life of someone who simply surrenders to God and obeys His commands.

Moses is remembered as a man whose intimate relationship with God was evidenced by the lives God impacted through his life and leadership.  If your time on earth were to end today, what would you want your epitaph to say?  

Let’s ask God to show us the changes we need to make in order to live as we want to be remembered.

Live as You Want to be Remembered

Ever wonder what people will say about you at your funeral?


In preparation for a new writing project, I spent the past month studying the life of Moses. The final chapter of his story includes an amazing epitaph, honoring the reluctant, yet powerfully effective leader for the people of Israel.

Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, who did all those miraculous signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt - to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel. (Deuteronomy 34:10-12 NIV)

Moses was known for His intimate relationship with God and for the mighty works God accomplished through his life. Moses made numerous, costly mistakes in his role as Israel's leader. However, God was ultimately glorified through Moses' humble obedience and authentic leadership.

I can think of no better way to be remembered than as a woman who walked so closely with her Lord that others were able to recognize God's loving kindness and mighty power through the way she lived her life. I'm asking God to show me the changes that I need to make in order to make that epitaph a reality.

What about you? What do you want your epitaph to say? What changes do you need to make in order for that to become a reality? Ask God to give you the strength and courage to make those changes and live each day as you want to be remembered.



Mindy Ferguson

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