I ask for lots of things from the Lord, like wisdom in a hard decision or patience to get through the day. I pray for God to provide financially and I give thanks for my food (for which I’m truly grateful—I enjoy my times at table).

But I rarely pray for God to show me his splendor. Yet Moses, in his psalm, asked for this very thing: May your deeds be shown to your servants, your splendor to their children.

Moses experienced God’s splendor like no other. From a burning bush to the angel of death, walking through an ocean laid bare and forty days consumed in smoke and fire on a mountaintop. In his prayers, Moses asked that following generations would experience the Lord’s splendor as well.

The Lord’s splendor is all around—if my eyes are open. But most days I focus downward and inward, unable to perceive much beyond myself. So I’m asking the Lord to show me. If Moses made the request, perhaps his prayer will bear fruit for me.

Ask to see the Lord’s splendor. Pray for eyes open to the magnificence of the Lord. What can it hurt? By doing so we’ll gain a fresh appreciation for God’s work in the world and his personal attention to you and me.

Psalm 90 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Explore with Joshua