But only Moses went to the top of the mountain and into the intimate presence of God. It is clear from Scripture that Moses had taken great personal sacrifices and risks to obey God. He had turned down opportunities for personal promotion in order to see God's people blessed. When he found out that he was not an Egyptian but an Israelite, he refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter (see Hebrews 11:24-29). What a momentous decision that was for him! Since he had grown up in the house of Pharaoh, he was rich with every earthly treasure that anybody could possibly have. The Israelites, on the other hand, were poor slaves who enjoyed none of the luxuries that he was used to.

Hebrews 11:25 says of Moses: “He preferred to share the oppression [suffer the hardships] and bear the shame of the people of God rather than to have the fleeting enjoyment of a sinful life.” Now that's a powerful Scripture! Moses could have kept on having fun in the flesh, but he chose to seek something more. Not everyone would have paid that price.

Moses passed the test of ambition and selfishness. He wanted intimacy with God more than anything else. Moses spent time with God for forty days and forty nights and received the Ten Commandments. God spoke with Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend (see Exodus 33:11). The manifest glory of God shone on Moses' face in such intensity that he had to wear a veil because the brightness of his countenance blinded the people (see Exodus 34:30-35).

These same four levels of intimacy are demonstrated in those who knew Jesus. We know that Jesus appointed at least seventy people to travel ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going (see Luke 10:1). From the seventy, Jesus chose twelve disciples to share a deeper level of intimacy with Him, and out of the twelve there were three-Peter, James, and John-who were taken by Jesus into situations that none of the others could share. But of these three who were closest to Jesus, only John felt comfortable enough to rest his head on Jesus' chest as he listened to the Lord teach and talk of the kingdom of God.

Jesus had seventy acquaintances, twelve disciples, three close friends, and one who loved Him like a brother. Jesus loved them all, and they all loved Jesus, but not everyone was willing to make the same level of commitment as those who entered into a more intimate relationship with Him.

Not everybody is willing to pay the price it takes to be close to God. Not everybody is willing simply to take the time to be close to the Lord. God doesn't ask for all of our time. He wants us to do other things besides engaging in spiritual activities. He designed us with a body, a soul, and a spirit, and He expects us to take care of each area of our being.

Exercising our bodies takes time and effort. Our soul needs to be taken care of. Our emotions need to be ministered to, we need to be entertained and have fun, and we need to enjoy fellowship with other people. Likewise, we have a spiritual nature that needs attention. If any area of our being gets out of balance, the spiritual begins to suffer; then our lives quickly become lopsided, and things just don't work as they should.

I believe the whole issue of intimacy with God is a matter of time. We say we don't have time to seek God, but we take time to do the things that are the most important to us. “I'm busy” can be an excuse. We all have to fight distractions every day to protect our time to seek God. He is the most important requirement in our lives, so why doesn't He have that place of importance in our time? Perhaps it's because when we start making a spiritual investment, we want instant gratification. But to seek God means to continue looking for Him.

We won't experience instant gratification. We must sow before we reap; we must invest before we get a return. In other words, we must lose before we gain; we must give up time before we can experience intimacy with God.

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Copyright © 2003 by Joyce Meyer

Tags: Christianity

About the Author

JOYCE MEYER has been teaching the Word of God since 1976 and in full-time ministry since 1980. She is the bestselling author of more than fifty inspirational books, including How to Hear from God, Knowing God Intimately, and Battlefield of the Mind. She has also released thousands of teaching cassettes and a complete video library. Joyce's Enjoying Everyday Life radio and television programs are broadcast around the world, and she travels extensively conducting conferences. More