One more request

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By Tom Wiles | For The Times-Post

And the Lord replied to Moses,”I will indeed do what you have asked, for you have found favor with me, and you are my friend.” Then Moses had one more request. “Please let me see your glorious presence,” he said. The Lord replied,”I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my own name, ‘the Lord’ to you…”

— Exodus 33:17-19

After nearly 31 years of marriage, I like to think I know my sweetheart pretty well by now, and vice versa.

We’ve traveled some rough terrain as well as smooth waters, seeing each other at our best and our worst.

And yet, I find myself marveling on a regular basis at something new I discover about her that causes me to pause in wonder.

It may be a depth of thought, an emotional nuance, a strength of will, a physical capability or a spiritual awareness that provides me with a more complete picture of, as well as appreciation for, who she is.

Incredibly, Moses and God were friends. That’s what God said. They hung out.

On occasion, they would be alone together for 40 days, just the two of them. Moses loved God, and God loved Moses.

The Bible says no other prophet in Israel knew God like Moses did. So what “one more request” would Moses make of his friend God most high?

He asked for more. Not more stuff. Not more answers. Not more comfort. Not more rest.

Nope. He asked for more of his friend.

“Please,” he said, “Let me see your glory.”

What would our “one more request” be?

I know what mine have been.

I’ve requested wisdom, strength and awareness of his presence. I’ve asked for healing, answers and spiritual breakthroughs. I’ve asked for love, patience and forgiveness.

These are all perfectly fine requests.

Maybe, just maybe, there is one more request we need to add to our lists.

Perhaps even move it to the top of our list? … O Lord, more of you. Show us your glorious presence. We want to know you more and more every day. Gracious Heavenly Father, may our hearts desire nothing more than we desire you.

A house divided

One time Jesus entered a house, and the crowds began to gather again. Soon he and his disciples couldn’t even find time to eat. When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away. “He’s out of his mind,” they said. But the teachers of religious law who had arrived from Jerusalem said,”He’s possessed by Satan, the prince of demons.” Jesus called them over and responded with an illustration. “How can Satan cast out Satan?” he asked. “A kingdom divided by civil war will collapse. Similarly, a family splintered by feuding will fall apart.”

— Mark 3:20-25

By all measurements, this pro football team was poised to be a force few could match in its march to the championship.

A two-time world champion quarterback and coach.

A tough-as-nails defense with an equally spirited fan base behind it.

Preseason expectations skyrocketed as their running back and one of their receivers rose to the “league’s best” conversations.

Then it happened. Contract negotiations stagnated. Attitudes began to sour. Teammates picked sides, and the wheels came off.

This once vaunted team crumbled, losing early in the playoffs with barely a whimper.

Jesus spoke to this very problem thousands of years ago. When he was delivering people from demonic possession, his enemies blamed his partnership with those demons as the reason why he could do it.

They needed, his disciples needed, the crowds needed, his family needed — and we need — this core truth: A house divided cannot stand. Division devours. Disunity destroys.

All organizations where members see each other as adversaries are in peril.

It’s no small thing that Jesus would appear to his brother James after the resurrection.

In doing so, James went from, “He’s crazy,” to “He’s Lord!”

Feuding splinters. Splintering leads to a falling apart. Public discourse and private conversations are plagued with feuds. What are we actively doing to take fuel from the fires of division in our circles of influence?

What is our plan to build unity in our marriages, homes, churches and workplaces?

Jesus fought the good fight against the devil. Why are we so quick to fight bad fights against each other?

Resolve today to live in the blessing Jesus gave, “God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.”

Wiles is senior minister of Fall Creek Christian Church in Pendleton. He can be reached at 765-778-3166.