Give Me Your Eyes

I read this verse the other day - "Moses was faithful as a servant in all God's house" (Heb. 3:5) - and for some reason, the idea of Moses' faithfulness stood out to me.  I don't remember Moses being particularly faithful.  In fact, I remember some pretty bad things Moses did.  In Exodus 3:12, Moses murders an Egyptian and then tries to cover up his crime by hiding the body in the sand.  Throughout the first few chapters of Exodus, Moses tries to convince God to send someone else to speak to Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of captivity.  In Numbers 20:7-12, he does things his own way instead of God's, and his sin keeps him from entering the Promised Land, after all his work in Egypt to convince Pharaoh to let the people go and after 40 years of wandering in the desert with complaining Israelites.

Maybe you can see why I find it hard to believe that God considered Moses faithful.  But Hebrews 3:5 is not the only place where Moses is commended.  Exodus 33:11 says that God spoke to Moses "face to face, as a man speaks with his friend."  God considers this man a friend?  Moses is even included in the Hall of Faith (Hebrews 11)!  I find it hard to believe that someone who committed murder, who tried to wiggle out of God's express will for his life, who disobeyed God so grievously that he was denied entry to the Promised Land, this very one is considered faithful, a friend of God!

Apparently God views our lives differently from how we view them.  When I look back on my past, I can't help but chastise myself for sins I have committed, mistakes I have made.  But thinking about Moses' life and what God said about him makes me think that God looks at us through lenses of love and kindness, remembering the good and not holding our sins against us.  These verses come to mind:
"He will not always accuse, nor will He harbor His anger forever" (Ps. 103:9).
"The Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion.  For the Lord is a God of justice" (Is. 30:18). 

Oh, what a glorious thought!  When God looks at my life, He doesn't focus on every little thing I've ever done wrong.  He does not always accuse.  He looks at me with the tender eyes of a father, remembers that I am but dust, and loves me for all the ways my heart seeks to please Him.  And if God can look at me that way, who am I to judge myself more harshly?  "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:1).

As I was looking up verses to include here, I kept getting referred to Psalm 103.  It's a beautiful psalm.  Read it here.