Have you ever wanted to experience God more deeply, to sense his presence in a way that feels real and close, but wondered why it sometimes feels just out of reach? You pray, you try to be faithful, but there’s still a longing for more.
Moses knew that feeling. Standing before God at Mount Sinai, he makes one of the boldest requests in all of Scripture: “Please show me your glory.” (Exodus 33:18 NIV)
The Hebrew word Moses uses for “glory” is kavod (כָּבוֹד), pronounced kah-VODE. It literally means “weight” or “heaviness.” We use similar language today. When we call someone a “heavyweight” in their field, we mean they matter. They carry influence. Kavod refers to a person’s substance, their significance, the full weight of who they truly are.
So, when Moses asked to see God’s glory, he wasn’t asking for a bright light or a dramatic display. He was asking to experience the full weight of who God really is: all his power, holiness, love, and justice combined. That’s a huge request.
And God’s response is both yes and no. God tells Moses, “I will make all my goodness pass before you… But you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live” (Exodus 33:19-20 NIV). So, God tucks Moses into a crack in the rock and covers him with his hand. Then as God passes by, he lifts his hand, and Moses gets a glimpse of the retreating form of the Almighty.
At first, it might seem like God is holding back. But the truth is that God’s kavod is so weighty, so overwhelming in its power and holiness, that the full force of it would obliterate us. It would be like staring directly into the sun or standing in the path of a tidal wave.
But here’s the beautiful part: the God whose glory is too much for us to bear is the same God who wants to be close to us. He doesn’t want distance. He wants intimacy. So God reveals himself in ways we can receive, giving us a glimpse of his nearness.
I think we sometimes forget what we’re dealing with when we come to God. We pray while we’re scrolling through our phones, half-distracted, treating our quiet time like another item to check off the list. But kavod reminds us that we’re talking to the God whose glory fills the heavens, whose voice spoke the universe into existence.
And yet, God wants to meet with us. Every moment we sense God’s presence is him being incredibly gentle with us, showing us just enough to bless our lives without destroying us.
Today, take a moment to remember who you’re praying to. Acknowledge the weight of God’s kavod. Let yourself feel small for just a moment. Not to make you feel afraid, but to fill you with a sense of wonder.
Like Moses, we serve a God whose glory we can only see in part. But that glimpse is enough to change our lives forever.
Prayer: Lord, we stand in awe of your kavod, the overwhelming weight of your glory. Like Moses, we boldly ask that you would show more of yourself to us today, revealing just enough of your presence to fill us with a sense of wonder without overwhelming us. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Alan Smith
Reprinted with permission from Alan Smith’s Thought For the Day
