“When Moses entered the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim. He spoke to him that way.” (Numbers 7:89)
Have you ever wondered what that was like? Moses met with the living God daily, sometimes for hours at a time, in the tent of meeting (the Tabernacle’s Holy of Holies), and God spoke to him directly and audibly. It was clearly a voice. It came from between the two gold cherubim (angelic, winged creatures), one piece with and attached at either end of the solid gold mercy seat which sat atop the Ark of the Covenant. The only light came from the “menorah” lamp just outside the curtain. The layers of covering for the tent made outside sound virtually inaudible. So, the light was dim, and it was peacefully quiet, except for the movements of Moses and his voice and the voice of God speaking.
We do not know what the conversations were, but we can surmise that during these times God at least gave Moses instructions, that He gave Moses encouragement and strength, and that He gave Moses His blessings. Just imagine.
The days of the Ark of the Covenant are long gone. Only God even knows where it is, if, in fact, it is still intact on this earth. Today, there is a “new” Ark of the Covenant, and it is your heart and mind as a believer in Jesus Christ. Jeremiah told us about it. He prophesied that the day would come when the Covenant would no longer be on tablets of stone but written on our hearts. God’s “mercy seat” now resides in our hearts, and while we do not necessarily hear an audible voice with our physical ears, we can nevertheless hear the voice of God in our hearts and minds, giving us that same instruction, encouragement, strength, and blessings. Best of all, we never have to leave the tent!
Lord, We thank You that now, by the blood of Christ, You dwell within us through Your Holy Spirit. Help us thus to live the life of the Spirit. Amen.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Floods
“The Lord sat enthroned at the flood; the Lord sits enthroned, King forever. The Lord gives His people strength; the Lord blesses His people with peace.” (Psalm 29:10-11)
The thing about floods is: they impact everything. If you’ve ever been in one, you know it’s true. Their destruction can be devastating.
Some life events come upon us like floods. Have you ever received a phone call or a message of tragedy, something you didn’t expect? The words of those messages sweep over us like a flood, and with each passing moment the depth increases. Nothing is left untouched. It’s almost like life and activity is totally suspended while you thrash around trying to survive it. A flood of sorrow can do this to you.
David grew into a perspective in his life that may help us. In the tragedies he faced, he still acknowledged the sovereignty of God. He wrote, “The Lord sat enthroned at the flood; the Lord sits enthroned, King forever.” He accepted the flood because he recognized that in spite of it, God was still the sovereign Lord.
David also recognized that God would give his people strength to endure the flood and ultimately bring them to peace. Maybe we need that same confidence for the floods we face, the confidence that says, “I believe the Lord will see me through this.” Maybe it’s a little like the perspective Paul grew into, “I have learned the secret of being content… I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Lord, For the floods that come into our lives, help us to first recognize that You are still the Lord, that nothing can change that, and help us to keep moving toward You in the confidence that You will lead us into Your peace as You strengthen us. Amen.
The thing about floods is: they impact everything. If you’ve ever been in one, you know it’s true. Their destruction can be devastating.
Some life events come upon us like floods. Have you ever received a phone call or a message of tragedy, something you didn’t expect? The words of those messages sweep over us like a flood, and with each passing moment the depth increases. Nothing is left untouched. It’s almost like life and activity is totally suspended while you thrash around trying to survive it. A flood of sorrow can do this to you.
David grew into a perspective in his life that may help us. In the tragedies he faced, he still acknowledged the sovereignty of God. He wrote, “The Lord sat enthroned at the flood; the Lord sits enthroned, King forever.” He accepted the flood because he recognized that in spite of it, God was still the sovereign Lord.
David also recognized that God would give his people strength to endure the flood and ultimately bring them to peace. Maybe we need that same confidence for the floods we face, the confidence that says, “I believe the Lord will see me through this.” Maybe it’s a little like the perspective Paul grew into, “I have learned the secret of being content… I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Lord, For the floods that come into our lives, help us to first recognize that You are still the Lord, that nothing can change that, and help us to keep moving toward You in the confidence that You will lead us into Your peace as You strengthen us. Amen.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Be Strong?
“The Lord is the strength of His people.” (Psalm 28:8a)
“Be strong!”
That’s what we sometimes advise others when life is crumbling around them. We also use the vernacular, “Hang in there!” or “Hang tough!” We mean well. We are trying to encourage people not to give up, to maintain their focus on hope. We might serve them better by simply saying something like that. “Don’t give up!”
An important reality calls out for recognition, like a child in a classroom raising his or her hand as if to say, “I know the answer.” The reality is the one David experienced over and over: The Lord is the strength of His people. The between-the-lines translation is: The Lord was David’s strength.
Our tendency when we face something that appears nearly impossible is to either try harder or give up. David is advising us of the third and correct alternative: Go to God. The Lord is the strength of His people, so why not first go to Him and trust Him for His strength and power and protection? We do what we can in any situation, but when the barriers are stronger than we are, doesn’t it make more sense to seek the Lord’s strength and rest in His strength? That is the way of wisdom.
Lord, Help us to be wise and act wisely today. Amen
“Be strong!”
That’s what we sometimes advise others when life is crumbling around them. We also use the vernacular, “Hang in there!” or “Hang tough!” We mean well. We are trying to encourage people not to give up, to maintain their focus on hope. We might serve them better by simply saying something like that. “Don’t give up!”
An important reality calls out for recognition, like a child in a classroom raising his or her hand as if to say, “I know the answer.” The reality is the one David experienced over and over: The Lord is the strength of His people. The between-the-lines translation is: The Lord was David’s strength.
Our tendency when we face something that appears nearly impossible is to either try harder or give up. David is advising us of the third and correct alternative: Go to God. The Lord is the strength of His people, so why not first go to Him and trust Him for His strength and power and protection? We do what we can in any situation, but when the barriers are stronger than we are, doesn’t it make more sense to seek the Lord’s strength and rest in His strength? That is the way of wisdom.
Lord, Help us to be wise and act wisely today. Amen
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Camp of God
“The Israelites did everything the Lord commanded Moses; they camped by their banners in this way and moved out the same way, each man by his clan and by his ancestral house. (Numbers 2:34)
Imagine yourself standing on top of a high mountain and looking down on the valley below, your eyes taking in the massive scene of humanity below in the camp of God. The camp itself was organized by the Lord’s instruction. The tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun camped toward the east. The tribes of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad camped to the south. Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin camped to the west, and Dan, Asher, and Naphtali to the north. In the middle the Levites camped by the Tabernacle which was central to Israel’s very being, for there the Lord resided. When the Shekinah glory cloud lifted, Israel was to pack up and move out just as they were camped. Impressive, to say the least.
The most impressive feature of all was simply the centrality of the Lord’s presence among the people of Israel. This was impressive because it provided access to the Lord from any direction. That doesn’t mean that anyone could go into the holy of holies for a direct audience with the Lord, but it does mean that everyone had an equal access to the Lord through prayer. All had equal access for worship as well.
The centrality of the Lord’s presence was impressive also because it brought order to the chaos. Earlier, Israel was just loosely organized, but with these instructions to Moses, the Lord organized them.
The application of this in terms of “take-home” truth is two-fold: 1) We all have equal access to God in faith, and 2) the Lord’s presence in our lives brings peace out of the chaos we sometimes experience in life.
Lord, May Your Spirit dwell at the very center of our being, and may we be at the very center of Your will. Amen.
Imagine yourself standing on top of a high mountain and looking down on the valley below, your eyes taking in the massive scene of humanity below in the camp of God. The camp itself was organized by the Lord’s instruction. The tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun camped toward the east. The tribes of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad camped to the south. Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin camped to the west, and Dan, Asher, and Naphtali to the north. In the middle the Levites camped by the Tabernacle which was central to Israel’s very being, for there the Lord resided. When the Shekinah glory cloud lifted, Israel was to pack up and move out just as they were camped. Impressive, to say the least.
The most impressive feature of all was simply the centrality of the Lord’s presence among the people of Israel. This was impressive because it provided access to the Lord from any direction. That doesn’t mean that anyone could go into the holy of holies for a direct audience with the Lord, but it does mean that everyone had an equal access to the Lord through prayer. All had equal access for worship as well.
The centrality of the Lord’s presence was impressive also because it brought order to the chaos. Earlier, Israel was just loosely organized, but with these instructions to Moses, the Lord organized them.
The application of this in terms of “take-home” truth is two-fold: 1) We all have equal access to God in faith, and 2) the Lord’s presence in our lives brings peace out of the chaos we sometimes experience in life.
Lord, May Your Spirit dwell at the very center of our being, and may we be at the very center of Your will. Amen.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Trustworthy
“These are the names of the men who are to assist you.” (Numbers 1:5)
The Lord told Moses and Aaron to take a census of Israel to register all the men 20 years old or more, those who could serve in the army. The Lord then specified by name all the leaders of the tribes of Israel who were to assist. Moses and Aaron did exactly as the Lord commanded and registered a total of 603,550 men.
We see two lessons of intrinsic spiritual value here, though they may not be all that apparent.
First, why would God call for a census when He already knew what the number was? Obviously, it had to have something to do with Israel’s need, not His. Did He just want them to see what a huge army was possible among them? Was He trying to instill confidence in them? Maybe. A better understanding is that God wanted them to see just how much He had blessed them. They were 70 in number when they arrived in Egypt. Some 430 years later they were 603,550 men, not including the women and children. This was in spite of the decimation of their numbers from the killing of infants at Pharaoh’s orders, despite the suffering, affliction, and death due to their slavery in Egypt. God had taken their original number and grown it to as many as 3 million. That is a testimony to God’s sovereignty, and maybe that is what He wanted them to see.
Second, God mentioned all the leaders of Israel’s tribes by name. That means He knew each of their names. Personally. And it further means that he knows your name. Personally. The God who is God of the many is also God of the one. He knows you.
The point of both lessons is inescapable: God is trustworthy. That is what He wanted them to know. It is what He wants us to know today.
Lord, We recognize Your trustworthiness, and in trust we follow You. Amen.
The Lord told Moses and Aaron to take a census of Israel to register all the men 20 years old or more, those who could serve in the army. The Lord then specified by name all the leaders of the tribes of Israel who were to assist. Moses and Aaron did exactly as the Lord commanded and registered a total of 603,550 men.
We see two lessons of intrinsic spiritual value here, though they may not be all that apparent.
First, why would God call for a census when He already knew what the number was? Obviously, it had to have something to do with Israel’s need, not His. Did He just want them to see what a huge army was possible among them? Was He trying to instill confidence in them? Maybe. A better understanding is that God wanted them to see just how much He had blessed them. They were 70 in number when they arrived in Egypt. Some 430 years later they were 603,550 men, not including the women and children. This was in spite of the decimation of their numbers from the killing of infants at Pharaoh’s orders, despite the suffering, affliction, and death due to their slavery in Egypt. God had taken their original number and grown it to as many as 3 million. That is a testimony to God’s sovereignty, and maybe that is what He wanted them to see.
Second, God mentioned all the leaders of Israel’s tribes by name. That means He knew each of their names. Personally. And it further means that he knows your name. Personally. The God who is God of the many is also God of the one. He knows you.
The point of both lessons is inescapable: God is trustworthy. That is what He wanted them to know. It is what He wants us to know today.
Lord, We recognize Your trustworthiness, and in trust we follow You. Amen.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Angels and Dreams
“After they were gone, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, ‘Get up! Take the child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to search for the child to destroy Him.’” (Matthew 2:13)
Joseph had at least four encounters with angels and dreams which determined major decisions. The first came when he learned of Mary’s pregnancy. “An angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream,” was the first statement. (Matthew 1:20) The second instance, from the text above is stated almost exactly the same way. The third instance occurred in Egypt after Herod died. “An angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream” is the statement in Matthew 2:19. The fourth time came when Joseph was “warned in a dream” when he learned that Archelaus was ruling in place of Herod and withdrew into Galilee and settled in Nazareth.
Have you ever had what you felt was an encounter with an angel of the Lord in a dream?
If such an event were to occur in your life, how would you know whether this is truly an angel of the Lord, or that your dream was something from the Lord?
First, the appearance would be sudden. He would simply be there. Second, the angel would not claim any allegiance to himself but would represent God. Third, the angel would deliver a message from God or otherwise give a direction that is from God which would not in any way conflict with what is already written in the word of God. Fourth, the message would be something intended to further the kingdom of God centered around the divinity and authority of Jesus Christ, or to prevent a major hindrance to the kingdom of God. The criteria is steep. It was then for Joseph as well, given what was at stake.
Lord, We seek Your will, and we seek a personal communion with You in which You speak to us in ways of Your choosing. Help us to be perceptive to the ways and the times when You speak, whatever form that takes. Amen.
Joseph had at least four encounters with angels and dreams which determined major decisions. The first came when he learned of Mary’s pregnancy. “An angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream,” was the first statement. (Matthew 1:20) The second instance, from the text above is stated almost exactly the same way. The third instance occurred in Egypt after Herod died. “An angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream” is the statement in Matthew 2:19. The fourth time came when Joseph was “warned in a dream” when he learned that Archelaus was ruling in place of Herod and withdrew into Galilee and settled in Nazareth.
Have you ever had what you felt was an encounter with an angel of the Lord in a dream?
If such an event were to occur in your life, how would you know whether this is truly an angel of the Lord, or that your dream was something from the Lord?
First, the appearance would be sudden. He would simply be there. Second, the angel would not claim any allegiance to himself but would represent God. Third, the angel would deliver a message from God or otherwise give a direction that is from God which would not in any way conflict with what is already written in the word of God. Fourth, the message would be something intended to further the kingdom of God centered around the divinity and authority of Jesus Christ, or to prevent a major hindrance to the kingdom of God. The criteria is steep. It was then for Joseph as well, given what was at stake.
Lord, We seek Your will, and we seek a personal communion with You in which You speak to us in ways of Your choosing. Help us to be perceptive to the ways and the times when You speak, whatever form that takes. Amen.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Future View
“Lord, You are my portion and my cup of blessing; You hold my future.” (Psalm 16:5)
The future beckons to us, dreamlike, calling us to enter into its aroma of possibilities. Sometimes it seems to say, “Anything is possible.” Sometimes when we peer into them, we feel more like, “That’s not possible.” So our thinking about the future fogs up like a car window in the winter.
The truth we need to hear is instead: “With God, all things are possible.” There may be any number of determinative decisions we could make that might impact the future we have, but for Christians we hold this truth close to our hearts: The Lord is our portion and our cup of blessing; He holds our future.”
Those who believe anything is possible will move into the future probably with some excitement, as well as some anxiety and worry, because they have hitched themselves to currents and eddies formed by chance.
Those who believe that with God all things are possible will move into the future with excitement and peace, because they trust the purposes of the Sovereign Lord for their lives. They know the future is secure for them, regardless of the direction the Lord leads them.
Lord, May we rest in Your eternal purposes for us as we move into the future you have for us. Amen.
The future beckons to us, dreamlike, calling us to enter into its aroma of possibilities. Sometimes it seems to say, “Anything is possible.” Sometimes when we peer into them, we feel more like, “That’s not possible.” So our thinking about the future fogs up like a car window in the winter.
The truth we need to hear is instead: “With God, all things are possible.” There may be any number of determinative decisions we could make that might impact the future we have, but for Christians we hold this truth close to our hearts: The Lord is our portion and our cup of blessing; He holds our future.”
Those who believe anything is possible will move into the future probably with some excitement, as well as some anxiety and worry, because they have hitched themselves to currents and eddies formed by chance.
Those who believe that with God all things are possible will move into the future with excitement and peace, because they trust the purposes of the Sovereign Lord for their lives. They know the future is secure for them, regardless of the direction the Lord leads them.
Lord, May we rest in Your eternal purposes for us as we move into the future you have for us. Amen.
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