The Open Tent

Israel saw miracles. Moses sought intimacy.  Israel followed God for what He did. Moses followed God for who He was. And that difference shaped everything about their walk, their endurance, and their transformation.  

Most of us begin our journey seeking the acts of God. We want deliverance, provision, protection, healing, answers, and relief. We cry out for God to move — and in His mercy, He often does. He parts seas, provides manna, defeats enemies, and rescues us from trouble. But if we are not careful, we begin to love the results of God more than the relationship with God.  Israel saw the Red Sea part, yet murmured days later. They experienced daily provision, yet remained restless and fearful. They knew what God could do, but they did not know His heart.  

Moses wanted something different. In the midst of frustration, intercession, and leadership pressure, Moses prayed one of the most revealing prayers in Scripture: “Now therefore, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You” (Exodus 33:13). Moses understood something Israel did not — that knowing God’s ways is the doorway to knowing God Himself. The ways of God shape the soul; the acts of God may impress it, but they do not transform it. Miracles can surround a person whose heart remains unchanged. Relationship is what changes a man.  

God, in His mercy, often allows the pursuit of His acts to run its course. Sometimes He even allows those acts to shipwreck us — not to punish us, but to redirect us. When deliverance alone does not produce devotion, when provision alone does not produce obedience, and when blessing alone does not produce surrender, God begins to lead us deeper. Scripture tells us, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength” (Isaiah 30:15). The soul must eventually learn that peace does not come from what God does, but from walking with Him.  

The ways of God are slower, quieter, and far less dramatic than His acts — but they are far more powerful. God’s ways teach patience, humility, trust, obedience, repentance, and faithfulness. They shape how we respond when prayers are delayed, when provision feels thin, when the road is unclear. Those who know God’s ways are not shaken when His acts are momentarily unseen, because they trust His character.  “The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy” (Psalm 145:8). When we know this, we stop demanding signs and start resting in truth.  

Jesus carried this same invitation. Many followed Him for bread, miracles, and healing, but few followed Him for transformation. When the crowds left, Jesus turned to the disciples and asked, “Do you also want to go away?” (John 6:67). Peter’s response reveals the heart of one who had begun to understand the difference: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). Peter did not say, “You have the miracles.  ” He said, “You have the words.  ” He had begun to value who Jesus was, not just what He could do.  

When the ways of God are known, the acts of God take their rightful place. Blessing flows without becoming an idol. Deliverance is received without entitlement. Provision is enjoyed without dependency. Everything else becomes fruit, not foundation. Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). The order matters. When we seek the King, the kingdom follows. When we seek the ways of God, the acts of God come in their proper time and purpose.  

The mature prayer is no longer, “God, show me Your hand, ” but, “God, show me Your heart.  ” Because once we know His ways, we are no longer shaken by circumstances — and once we know His heart, we trust Him even when His hand is hidden.