Show Me Your Glory: Reflections on God's Multifaceted HeartChikamu

Introduction

“Tell me about yourself.”

Such a daunting request. Maybe it comes up in a job interview or over coffee with a new friend. Whatever the setting, it’s no small task to formulate a response.

How do I condense myself into just a few sentences?

I’m a wife, a mom, a teacher, a writer, a friend, a neighbor, and a churchgoer. Which role should I highlight?

Beneath my various job descriptions lies the core of who I am—the me who’s there when no one is looking, the woman who emerges when life’s pressures mount, and the person whose values drive the choices I make.

This is who I am.

And this is what Moses was getting at when he prayed, “Teach me your ways so I may know you” (Exodus 33:13). He longed to know God’s very heart. He’d seen his miracles and received his covenant laws for Israel. He’d stood in the cloud of God’s manifest presence.

But Moses yearned for more. God’s actions and requirements weren’t enough. He needed to be close to God, and he begged to see more of God’s glory.

In response to Moses’ plea, God announced the qualities at the core of his being, the values behind his every interaction with humanity (Exodus 34:6-7). This description of his character became central to Jewish thought and culture. Like a musical motif weaving through a symphony, it repeats throughout the Old Testament, bursting into a glorious crescendo in the Person of Jesus Christ.

In the following devotions, we’ll explore these words God used to describe himself and reflect on how they appear in our lives. We’ll marvel at his dazzling grace and wrestle with the tension between his forgiving heart and his commitment to justice. In the end and all along the way, I pray that, like Moses, our hearts will overflow with wonder and worship of our multifaceted God.

God Just Is

Every family has characteristics that make it unique. My in-laws are no exception. They love well, embracing blood relatives and newcomers alike. In the years I’ve known them, I’ve discovered a habit that still makes me laugh.

They like to give nicknames.

But these aren’t your everyday nicknames. No Junior or Honey or Little One.

No, the nicknames they hand out are actual names—just not the ones given at birth. Stuart became Mack. Stephen is Stu, and Warren goes by Dan. Bob answered to Beaver. Amy is Amos. Robert was known as Bud.

There’s always a story to go along with the nickname, a story you know if you’re part of the family.

Giving nicknames is part of my husband’s family culture. Using these names adds to our sense of belonging, of knowing and being known.

Names are intricately woven into our identity. This is why, when meeting someone new, we say, “Hi. I’m…” and give our name. Our real name.

In Exodus 34, God calls out his name, the LORD. When Bible translators use all caps here, they reference the Hebrew word Yahweh—God’s most personal name. He first introduced this name when he spoke to Moses out of a burning bush (Exodus 3). In that conversation, he commissioned Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery. Moses asked God for his name so he could tell the people who sent him to deliver them.

In an unexpected twist, God gave his name, but in a seemingly incomplete way. “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:14).

I Am…who?

Just “I Am who I am” (Exodus 3:14).

A few verses later, God used the name YHWH, which is translated into English as LORD or Jehovah. The Blue Letter Bible tells us this name means “the existing One,” carrying on the I Am theme (v. 16).1

Because God just is.

I’ve always been a bit baffled by this name for God. It seems heady and abstract and, honestly, kind of impersonal. Yet a deeper look reveals the exact opposite.

The Center for Hebraic Thought describes the underlying beauty of this name. “In Biblical Hebrew, the being verb [I Am] conveys not just existence but manifest existence…In the name of Yahweh, God made himself known as a present being—present with and for his people.”2 In sharing his name, God announced the nearness of all he is—his grace, omnipotence, and tender care. The God who sees, who never forgets, who wants to help his people—this God was present, and he was sending Moses to rescue them.

“Perhaps a helpful paraphrase of God’s words at the burning bush would be, ‘Say to the people of Israel, “I Am Present has sent me to you.”’”2

In this name, God issues an invitation to know him in the present—personally, experientially, and deeply.

Although he’s self-existent—the very framework of our lives—he’s also the God who’s personally with us in every detail—daily, every need, and every season.

Our God, who’s outside of time and completely independent of us, is present with us and for us.

“The LORD came down in a cloud, stood with [Moses] there, and proclaimed his name, ‘the LORD.’ The LORD passed in front of him and proclaimed: The LORD—the LORD is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth, maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But he will not leave the guilty unpunished” (Exodus 34:5-7, CSB).

Personal Reflection: In my experience, has God seemed distant or personal? In what ways do I need him to be present with me today?

Identity Check: Because God is, I am never alone.

Prayer Prompt: Ask God to help you see him as present with you in your everyday spaces. Pray for understanding of his personal heart and ask him to kindle in you a longing to know him deeper.

1. Blue Letter Bible Lexicon entry for H3068 in the NLT

2. The Center for Hebraic Thought in the article "'I Am who I Am' The Real Meaning of God's Name In Exodus," by Dr. Michael LeFebvre