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Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’” Exodus 33:18 In jail recently, one of the guys explained how he’d been struggling in his faith. He believed in God, yet God felt distant, as if…
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I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. Exodus 33:19 Last year, we moved less than a mile down the road, so we still live in the same neighborhood and we still walk our dog up and down the same sidewalk. When we…
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And the LORD said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” Exodus 33:17 Like all of you, I simply like some people more than others. We all have our favorites. In my work life for instance,…
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Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Exodus 33:11 He walks with me, and he talks with me, and he tells me I am his own. The joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known.  – In the Garden In…
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“So now take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you.” Therefore the people of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward. Exodus 33:5-6 Our dog, like any dog, prefers human food to his brown kibble. He begs, but he’s generally not aggressive in stealing food. Once though,…
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Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people. Exodus 33:3 When I was in medical school, one of the pediatricians I worked with would give this advice to new parents – If…
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But now go, lead the people to the place about which I have spoken to you; behold, my angel shall go before you. Exodus 32:34 I’ve had occasions in my life when I’ve spent a significant amount of energy worrying about God’s will for my life. What college should I attend? Where should I live?…
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“Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them.” Then the LORD sent a plague on the people, because they made the calf, the one that Aaron made. Exodus 32:34-35 When I first diverted opioids for my own use, I was terrified someone would find out. I laid awake at…
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But now, if you will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written. Exodus 32:32 When I first began practicing addiction medicine, I knew that relapse was a common occurrence. Still, for the first several months, it seemed as if I helped no one. All my patients…
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And Moses said, “Today you have been ordained for the service of the LORD, each one at the cost of his son and of his brother, so that he might bestow a blessing upon you this day.” Exodus 32:29 I grew up in an evangelical tradition, which places an emphasis on sharing the gospel message,…
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