Oh Lord, you’re beautiful,
Your face is all I seek,
For when your eyes are on this child,
Your grace abounds to me.

These are some of the lyrics to a song, “Lord, You’re Beautiful” by the prolific Steve Green.  It plays in the background as I read and study this next psalm written by a man of God, Moses.  Moses was a leader, but as you recall from his story, being THE leader of God’s people was not what he desired until God put His power in him. Moses learned quickly that obedience to God was the only way to live and the only way to lead.   God poured into Moses all that he needed to lead God’s people out of oppressive slavery.  By God’s power left Egypt, through powerful waters, to a safe haven in the wilderness of God’s care and keeping.  But evil followed them there. 

Oh Lord, please light the fire,
That once burned bright and clear.
Replace the lamp of my first love,
That burns with Holy fear.

From the burning bush to the parting of the Red Sea, Moses humbled himself in obedience to God.  When he failed to do that, Moses knew it and quickly repented and came back to doing what God told him to be and do.  We know when we stray to go it alone without God, don’t we?

I want to take your word and shine it all around.
But first help me to just, live it Lord.
And when I’m doing well, help me to never seek a crown.
For my reward is giving glory to you.

We can learn great wisdom and the character of God from the psalm before us from one who knew God, talked with God and who lived in obedience to God.  This is the true character of leadership called of God for a specific purpose and plan of God.  Yes, God is God and we are not.  When God calls, He has the plan.  Our work is His work in and through us.  We are merely invited to His work for a season and for “such a time as this”.

Oh Lord, you’re beautiful,
Your face is all I seek,
For when your eyes are on this child,
Your grace abounds to me.

Worship and Wisdom, Psalms and Proverbs

Psalm 90, The Message

A Prayer of Moses, Man of God

^1-2 God, it seems you’ve been our home forever;
    long before the mountains were born,
Long before you brought earth itself to birth,
    from “once upon a time” to “kingdom come”—you are God.

^3-11 So don’t return us to mud, saying,
    “Back to where you came from!”
Patience! You’ve got all the time in the world—whether
    a thousand years or a day, it’s all the same to you.

Are we no more to you than a wispy dream,
    no more than a blade of grass
That springs up gloriously with the rising sun
    and is cut down without a second thought?
Your anger is far and away too much for us;
    we’re at the end of our rope.
You keep track of all our sins; every misdeed
    since we were children is entered in your books.
All we can remember is that frown on your face.
    Is that all we’re ever going to get?
We live for seventy years or so
    (with luck we might make it to eighty),
And what do we have to show for it? Trouble.
    Toil and trouble and a marker in the graveyard.
Who can make sense of such rage,
    such anger against the very ones who fear you?

^12-17 Oh! Teach us to live well!
    Teach us to live wisely and well!
Come back, God—how long do we have to wait?—
    and treat your servants with kindness for a change.
Surprise us with love at daybreak;
    then we’ll skip and dance all the day long.
Make up for the bad times with some good times;
    we’ve seen enough evil to last a lifetime.
Let your servants see what you’re best at—
    the ways you rule and bless your children.
And let the loveliness of our Lord, our God, rest on us,
    confirming the work that we do.
    Oh, yes. Affirm the work that we do!

TRUTH:  Long before you brought earth itself to birth, from “once upon a time” to “kingdom come”—you are God.

Proverb 27:21, The Message

The purity of silver and gold is tested
    by putting them in the fire;
The purity of human hearts is tested
    by giving them a little fame.

WISDOM:  Know that God’s testing fire purifies our hearts and souls until He can see his reflection in us.  He is God and we are His people.  Others will know us by Who we reflect in our character.

Oh Lord, you’re beautiful,
Your face is all I seek,
For when your eyes are on this child,
Your grace abounds to me.

Abba Father,

You are God and we are not.  Affirm Your work in us and through us.  Give us clarity and wisdom to know we truly are in the center of Your will, accomplishing YOUR purpose and plan.  I want what You want, Lord.  May your glory be seen in me and all around me as I go about this day.  Thank you, Lord.

In Jesus Name, Amen