in the cleft of the rock

Exodus 33:17-34:8
    As the children of Israel journey to the Promised Land, Moses pleads for God's presence to go with them. He emphatically states that without God's presence, he doesn't want to go any further for it was God's presence that made them different from all other peoples.  That thought is in itself worthy of contemplation, i.e., how it is the presence of God in our lives that sets the Believer apart from all others! It is His presence that makes the difference...but, I digress.
    God promised His presence and Moses is prompted by this answer to pray to go a bit further. He requests that he might be shown God's glory.  Now, I am from Missouri, the Show Me State, so it is not uncommon for me to ask to be shown. Sometimes it is for instruction, sometimes for verification, while at other times, I ask to be shown simply because I want to know the source. Moses asked to be shown God's glory, I think, because he desired greater intimacy.
     Hebrews 4:16 invites us to "come boldly to the throne of grace", and perhaps this is one key to answered prayer, to make bold requests of God. We must remember, though, that even as He has promised His presence (Matt. 28:20), we must remember that we must also abide in Him for our prayers to be answered (John 15:7). The word "abide" means, " to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy): abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain...we get the idea that abiding has a permanence about it. We may often visit, but do we abide?
    God's response was to put Moses in a 'cleft of the rock'. Take a moment to think about this. It was a Secure Place - a rock; it was a Sheltered & Safe Place - for he was covered by God's hand; it was a Set-apart Place- for it was by Him; and it was a Satisfying Place - because Moses saw God's goodness as He passed by.
     Moses was in a place where he could witness the power and workings of God. God put him there because Moses pursued God, asking, and then asking for more privilege. God put him there, protected him there and proclaimed His glory there.
       Being 'there' is the most important place to be if we are to see God at work. When God sent Elijah to the brook Cherith, it was because He had commanded the ravens to feed him 'there'.  When God had a special message for Jeremiah, He sent him to the Potter's house and 'there' gave him that message. To be 'there' is where I want to be!
       William Kirkpatrick visited Fanny Crosby one day and played for her a tune he had composed. After a time of prayer, she wrote the words to He Hideth My Soul.