|

This Intrigues Me! (Seeing God)

Saturday Morning Devotional – By Jay Sikes

low angle photography gray sky intriguing clouds
Photo by Adam Kontor on Pexels.com

This Intrigues Me! (Seeing God) – By Jay Sikes

If you read Susan’s weekly Bible applications, you know she is reading in the book of Genesis.  Well, it so happens that we both are, but unintentionally and we started at different times.  I am a few chapters ahead of her and hope I don’t speak about something that she might share. However, I found something interesting that I would like to share because this intrigues me.

.

Jacob’s Encounter

.

A couple of weeks ago, I was reading about Jacob wrestling with God and then meeting up with his brother Esau after all the years of separation.

.

Gen. 32:30 “So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, ‘It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.’”

Gen. 33:10 “No, please!” said Jacob (to Esau). “If I have found favor in your eyes, accept this gift from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably.”

.

Jacob states he saw God face to face.  This intrigues me.

.

Moses’ Encounter

.

This is what is so intriguing.  In Exodus, Moses has an encounter with God but things are somewhat different.

.

Ex. 33:18-20 “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.’”

.

God told Moses no one could see His face and live.  Moses saw God’s glory, but not in It’s complete fullness.

This intrigued me.  Do you see why it’s so intriguing?  Jacob said he saw God face to face but God said no one could do so and live.

.

Making Sense of It All

.

Now, I am not a theologian nor do I pretend to be either.  However, I do know God’s Word does not contradict itself.  So, how did Jacob see God face to face?

.

Gen. 32:24 “So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak.”

.

This man would have to have been a manifestation of God for Jacob couldn’t have seen God face to face and survived.  There is also the fact that God is Spirit.  Jesus said,

.

John 4:24 “God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”

.

Again, I am not a theologian and I am not trying to open the door to a debate.  It’s just that this intrigued me.  You see, the Scriptures are very clear that we can see God in different ways – evidence of God.

.

Scriptures

.

Rom. 1:20 “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–His eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”

.

Ps. 19:1-3 “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.”

.

Acts 14:15-17 “Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, Who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. In the past, He let all nations go their own way. Yet He has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; He provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”

.

This intrigues me.  We see God every day!

.

Gabriel intrigues me

.

I would like to share a personal example.  Every time I see Gabriel, my great nephew, I see God.  Gabriel is 10 years old and he was born with a very rare disease.  Here are some things about Gabriel:

  • Many major surgeries, ambulance rides, hospital stays
  • On Christmas day a few years ago, before we were about to eat, he had to be rushed to the hospital – Life or death situation.  Everything went on the back burner, and we stood in the garage of Susan’s parents and prayed as a family.  BUT GOD!
  • First wheelchair – medical staff didn’t think he would be able to maneuver it.  Gabriel was placed in it, seat belt fastened, and away he went.  That intrigued everyone, well, maybe not his daddy and grandma – they were not surprised!
  • Gabriel has been in Children’s Hospital TV commercials, on billboards in Dallas, TX, and even in an advertisement at AT&T Stadium.
  • He knows more about computers and operating systems than most people.  Remember he is 10!
  • He’s made multiple videos and posted them on the Internet.
  • He can even hack his dad’s account and purchase stuff off Amazon.
  • This intrigues me!

.

Gabriel intrigues me

.

Due to “Home With Grace and Joy,” many of you know I just celebrated a birthday.  We all went out to eat, and Gabriel was there too.  He took it upon himself to head out in his wheelchair and ask people at other tables to sing “Happy Birthday” to me.  I’m not much for being the recipient of a song in a restaurant, but that was my birthday highlight!  You see, I’ve seen God face to face, I’ve seen His Glory, and I continue to every time I see Gabriel.  I know you have seen God too.  I just hope you realize it.  This intrigues me and I hope it does you as well!  To God be the glory!

.

Intriguing Quote

.

Seeing the face of God intrigues me

.

Song

I love almost every song by Zach Williams! If you have not heard “Face to Face” by him, you have got to listen to this soulful song! It is amazing!

.

Related Posts

.

Read the short devotional “The Face of God” by Reginald Smith for another take on this subject.

.

Here is another devotional, “What Do You See?” that Jay wrote that talks about seeing the Glory of God.

.

.

Whether you are reading life encounters in the Bible or living your own life, there are always opportunities to see the Lord and His Glory. Let’s look for Him in our daily lives and in the lives of others. I would love to hear your stories of the times you have seen the Face of God. Please share if you feel led.

.

Have a Grace & Joy-filled day!

Susan

.

Most Recent Posts

disclosure: affiliate links are used on this page. Thank you for supporting Home with Grace and Joy. When you purchase an item, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.

“When I am filled with cares, Your comfort brings me joy.” Psalms 94:19

Similar Posts

7 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.