Do you know God's ways? By Susan Barnes
"He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel ." Psalms 103:7
In Exodus 33:13 Moses prayed, "teach me your ways" and here in Psalms it is recorded that God answered Moses' prayer. This verse also tells us that while Moses knew God's ways, the people of Israel only knew God's deeds. So what's the difference between knowing God's ways and knowing God's deeds?
In Exodus 14:31 after the Israelites had crossed the Red Sea on dry land, we read that the people put their trust in the Lord because they had seen "the mighty hand of the Lord displayed ". But three days later, in Exodus 15:22-24, the people grumbled because of lack of water. This is one of the many times when the people of Israel saw God's deeds and then forgot. For the vast majority, seeing God's deeds didn't translate to knowing God's ways.
Moses, however, was different. He saw what God did, considered it and allowed his understanding of God to grow. Moses was able to keep trusting God in the hard times because he had not only seen God's deeds but had also reflected on God's ways. Through his deeds, Moses saw that God's heart was for his people, that he did care about them and was prepared to act on their behalf. Moses had taken the time to consider God's deeds and learn his ways.
Knowing God's ways will keep us going when we can't see his deeds.
Susan, an Australian pastor's wife, loves to enrich people's understanding of God. She regularly writes book reviews and inspirational articles. Contact | 
