Songs of Praise: Psalms 6-7

Psalms 6-7
Read the psalms online by clicking the reference above or open up your Bible.

The psalmist who wrote these psalms, knows both the pain of being judged rightly by God for sin and the frustration of being unjustly persecuted by the enemy.

O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,

Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.

Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;

O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.

Psalm 6:1-2 NKJV

O Lord my God, if I have done this:

If there is iniquity in my hands,

If I have repaid evil to him who was at peace with me,

Or have plundered the enemy without cause,

Let the enemy pursue me and overtake me;

Yes, let him trample my life to the earth,

And lay my honor in the dust.

Psalm 7:3-5 NKJV

In either case, he puts himself in the Lord's hands, trusting His mercy, His perfect judgment, and His steadfast love.

Oh, save me for Your mercies' sake!

Psalm 6:4 NKJV

God is a just judge...

Psalm 7:11 NKJV

No matter whether we rightly suffer consequences of sin or find ourselves unjustly accused by another, He is trustworthy in His judgment, His grace, His actions. And in either case, the right response, just like our psalmist, is to praise His holy name.

I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,

And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.

Psalm 7:17 NKJV

Lord, You are Most High and right in all You do.

Open my heart to trust You with what comes

and praise You in all circumstances.

Songs of Praise: Psalms 4-5

Psalms 4-5
Read today's psalms in your Bible or online by clicking the link above.

Both psalms begin with the psalmist calling on God to listen up: 

Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! ...

Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!

Psalm 4:1 ESV

Give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my groaning.

Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, 

for to you do I pray.

Psalm 5:1-2 ESV

Sometimes, some days, we just feel unheard.

We walk His way, but things go wrong.

We wonder where He is.

We pray and nothing seems to change.

We want to cry out: Do You hear me?

The psalmist shows us, that's OK. His words may sound like he's demanding God to pay attention, but if you look closely you'll see his submission to God.

• O God of my righteousness... The writer understands God alone makes him righteous, he has nothing right within himself apart from God.
• Be gracious to me... The psalmist is not reminding God how to act, he's reminding his own heart who God is.
• ...my King and my God, for to you do I pray... He puts himself under God's authority with these words. The psalmist cries out to Him for help because he knows there is no other source for help.

Each of these attitudes depict the heart of the truly righteous. Knowing we are only made right by faith in Christ, apart from Him we are all wrong. The righteous know they are dependent on His grace, because all is grace. And the righteous are fully submitted to His lordship in their lives. He alone our source of help. He alone is the One we run to with our need. The One we need to hear us!

The righteous know the Righteous One will not leave them to their own devices.

For you bless the righteous, O Lord;

you cover him with favor as with a shield.

Psalm 5:12 ESV

Read through the two psalms again and list the blessings the psalmist received by coming before His Lord in prayer.

Do you find yourself in need of these blessings?

They are yours, when you surrender to Him. Call out to Him in prayer. Bring your heart to Him. 

Lord, I come to You as my God, my only Hope, my Salvation.

In Your grace, hear me and answer me.

I wait for Your blessing.

Songs of Praise:Psalms 1-3

Begin to sing songs of praise: Psalms 1-3
Click the link or open up your Bible.

In the psalms, we hear the psalmists pour out their hearts to God. Fear, worry, doubt, despair, frustration, joy, thanks, hope, praise. There are no limits to the range of emotions we find in the psalms. The psalmists teach us how to pray. Show us how we can bring anything to God and He will respond by revealing Himself and changing our hearts.

As we read through Psalms, look for the prayers you can take as your own in this season of life. The ones echoing the cry in your heart right now. Take them as your prayers to God. You will be blessed.

Those who seek God in prayer to learn how to follow His way during a confusing time, and long to avoid the wicked way of the world will find themselves blessed.

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

Psalm 1:1-2 ESV

Prayer is a means of finding refuge in God during difficult times. When we call on Him rather than fighting our own fight, we find the blessing and protection of His presence.

Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Psalm 2:12 ESV

He alone has made the way for salvation through Jesus. When we remember this truth, call on His name, there will be blessing. The more time we spend with Him, growing our faith through prayerful obedience, the more confident we are of the blessings to come.

Salvation belongs to the Lord; your blessing be on your people!

Psalm 3:8 ESV

Lord, as I journey through the Psalms deepen my prayer life.

Open my heart to connect with You on a deeper level.

Open my ears and eyes to recognize the blessings of drawing near You in faith.

In the Wilderness: Exodus 40:34-38

All for His glory: Exodus 40:34-38
It's the last reading in Exodus. Open up the Word in your Bible or online by clicking the link above.

Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

Exodus 40:34 ESV

The work was finished. The tabernacle constructed, set in place, anointed. Then... God... showed... up...!

His glory present with His people. This was the whole point of the exercise. And this is the point for us too. His glory in the presence of His people.

As He calls us to visions and leads us by His Word and Spirit through the wilderness of this world, we are to do all for His glory and not for our own.

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace... in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.

1Peter 4:10-11 ESV

His presence is seen and recognized when His people serve Him with all their hearts, minds, souls, and strength. Humbly obedient in all they do.

God's physical glory present in the cloud was His message to the Israelites: Well done.

His Spirit places that message in our hearts as we obediently serve Him with a heart to glorify Him.

His glory the whole point of the exercise of life and faith. If we pursue Him faithfully, one day we too may hear:

"Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master."

Matthew 25:23 ESV

Lord Jesus, may I glorify You in all I do!

We've made it through Exodus. Next week begins the songs of praise found in Psalms. The psalms show us how past Believers have cried out to God in joy and sorrow, deliverance and suffering. 

Consider over the weekend what it means to you to be walking through the wilderness of this world with God, headed toward the promised land. Prepare your heart to hear the psalmists voice their hearts to God as they wandered. Perhaps their songs are yours too.

In the Wilderness: Exodus 40:1-33

Anointed for holy works: Exodus 40:1-33
Click the link above to read online.

"Then you shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and consecrate it and all its furniture, so that it may become holy. ... And their anointing shall admit them to a perpetual priesthood throughout their generations."

Exodus 40:9, 15 ESV

What God calls us to build, He instructs us how to use.

The Israelites were blessed with a vision and they built it, just as Moses told them. Now God reveals how to put it together and gives instructions to anoint all its parts and priests for His holy purposes.

We too, as temporal houses of God in our current bodies, are given visions and gifts to work out. But we must only use them at His direction, by the anointing of the Holy Spirit. We do not get to choose what we do with our gifts and visions. We are called to surrender them all to God. Willingly follow His instructions.

Do you recognize the gifts He's given you? Are you using them for His purpose? or for your own?

Do you understand the anointing of the Holy Spirit makes you holy to the Lord? and you are called to serve Him only?

Believers are anointed into a perpetual priesthood, an eternal service to God. Our lives no longer our own, but a living sacrifice to be given daily, moment by moment, through acts of worship.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Romans 12:1 ESV

Father God, remind me daily to use all You've given me

for Your purpose under Your direction.

Forgive me for the times I have used Your gifts

 for my own purpose. 

In the Wilderness: Exodus 39

The vision comes to pass: Exodus 39
Read the Scripture online by clicking the reference above.

So all the work on the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, was completed. The Israelites did everything just as the Lord commanded Moses.

Exodus 34:32 ESV

We've watched the Israelites construct the ark, the lampstand, the table, the altar, all the utensils, and the framework with its dividing veils and covering. Today, we read about the priestly garments: robes, tunics, ephod, turban. Each created according to the vision God gave Moses on the mountain.

It's one thing to receive a vision. It's another to make it happen.

I've had a bit of experience, lately, with visions coming to pass. More than ten years ago, God gave me ten words, all verbs, necessary to exercise faith. My vision for these words was a t-shirt for the youth ministry: Top 10 Ways to Exercise Your Faith!

When I took the vision to the Youth Ministry Director, Stacy, she saw something different. She said, "This is a Bible study." Those words stirred my heart and spirit to a greater vision. I began to study and write. Stacy graciously agreed to meet with me weekly to encourage and challenge.

We got to the point where the writing and weekly meetings were put aside. Other ministry endeavors ensued. But our faith relationship continued to grow. We mentor one another now, we call each other sister. And last summer we resuscitated the study on faith and taught it at the shop we share. 

The first five words are a six week Bible study, one we taught, and even expanded by going deeper for another twenty-five weeks. We are about to begin the work on completing the second half of the study, the remaining five words. But it never would've happened if steps of faith weren't taken toward each new glimpse of the vision. 

With each step of faith the vision expanded, became more detailed. Just like Moses's vision of the priestly robes. In the working out, the detail of the gold hammered flat, cut into strands, and woven into the fabric was revealed.

When God blesses you with a vision, take the first step -- whatever step looks like it will lead you toward its fulfillment. (Moses came down the mountain and called for an offering. I went to the Youth Director with the idea of a t-shirt.) Then continue to be faithful and see where He leads. What He reveals next.

It will take faith.

It will take work.

It will become something you never imagined.

In the same way, faith by itself,

if it is not accompanied by action is dead.

James 2:17 NIV

Exercise your faith, by seeking Him and His vision for His Kingdom. Then be prepared to get to work, take the first step and continue to listen for His direction.

Father God, what a blessing to be included in Your work.

Open my eyes and heart to receive the vision You have for me.

Bless me with the faith to take the first step.

I long for my faith to be living and active.

[P.S. To see what's become of the vision of the youth t-shirt, click here.]

In the Wilderness: Exodus 38

Burnished bronze: Exodus 38
Click the link above to read online.

He made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood. ... He made horns for it on its four corners. ... he overlaid it with bronze. And he made all the utensils for the altar, the pots, the shovels, the basins, the forks, and the fire pans. He made all its utensils of bronze.

...

He made the basin of bronze and its stand of bronze, from the mirrors of the ministering women who ministered in the entrance of the tent of meeting.

...

And he made the court. ...their twenty pillars and their twenty bases were of bronze...

Exodus 38:1-3, 8-10 ESV

Bronze was used to create the altar, construct the basin, and the bases for the framework for the court of the tabernacle. 

Daniel saw the pre-incarnate Lord in a vision.

His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude.

Daniel 10:6 ESV (emphasis added)

John saw the returning glorified Lord in his revelation.

The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice like the roar of many waters.

Revelation 1:14-15 ESV (emphasis added)

In the bronze-work of the temple we see the Lord.

In the altar, He is the One who purifies our offerings.

In the basin, He cleanses all our sins by His blood.

In the bases, He is the foundation by which we can enter the courts of God.

Burnished bronze. Shined like a mirror. In Him we see our true selves. Sinners saved by grace.

All the works of the tabernacle formed for purification, cleansing, and the foundation for the framework of their relationship with God, all based on the future promise of Jesus's work on the cross.

Believers are His tabernacle now, and live in the spiritual reality of His finished work.

Consecrated. Cleansed. And as close to Him as we care to be.

He is building us into a spiritual house, called to draw near to be a part of His work, separated from the world, for His use and purpose.

...you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

1Peter 2:5 ESV

Are you doing your part? allowing Him to consecrate, cleanse, and enter into His presence so you can more fully reflect His image to the world?

It's what you were re-created for. Just like the bronze plundered from the Egyptians and remade as holy to the Lord.

Lord, forgive me for not allowing You to reform me as You long to.

Today I invite You to shine me to a truer reflection of You.

In the Wilderness: Exodus 37

The most precious mercy seat: Exodus 37
Be sure to read the Word before reading what's below. Click the link above to read online.

And he made a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half was its length,
and a cubit and a half its breadth. And he made two cherubim of gold.
He made them of hammered work on the two ends of the mercy seat...

Exodus 37:6-7 ESV

Dang, God! That's a lot of gold!

My son's remark to God as he read the details of the tabernacle. And yes, there was a lot of gold involved. The utensils for the lampstand alone took a talent of gold which equals about 75 pounds. The cost today: $1,378,671.10. Dang, that's a lot of gold.

And I wonder if we realize just how precious a gift it is to have access to God's mercy seat. How precious it is to be able to enter the Holy Place, much less the Holy of Holies.

All of God's infinite power made the way for us to draw near to Him. The precious blood of His Son poured out on our behalf. 

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
and through him to reconcile to himself all things,
whether on earth or in heaven, making peace
by the blood of his cross.

Colossians 1:19-20 ESV

Do you appreciate the cost of what's been done for you? Do you daily draw near to spend time with Him, one on one?

If not, considering what it cost and how precious it is, maybe it's time to evaluate your response to the gospel. 

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. ..."
Matthew 13:44 ESV

Lord, forgive me for not appreciating the precious nature of Your gift of grace. Bless me with desire to draw near and take full advantage of Your unlimited access. Fill me with joy in Your presence.

In the Wilderness: Exodus 36

Let it be so among us: Exodus 36
Be sure to read His Word before the words below. Click the link above to read online.

So the people were restrained from bringing, for the material

they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more.

Exodus 36:6-7 ESV

Can you imagine such a thing? Pastor Doug standing before the congregation on Sunday morning saying: Really stop! You've given well beyond what we need for the work He's called us to. We are not taking an offering today.

What is revealed about the hearts of these newly freed wilderness wanderers?

What is revealed about our hearts wandering in the wilderness of the world?

Lord, free us up for joyful obedience when it comes to giving.

Amen.

In the Wilderness: Exodus 35:30-35

Unexpected gifts useful to His Kingdom: Exodus 35:30-35
Open up the Word today. Click online or find it in the Bible.

God gifts us all. Each in different ways. Maybe you think the only gifts useful to His Kingdom are those we see among the clergy: preaching, prophecy, teaching the Word, ministering, shepherding, etc.

But look at the gifts we see today: skill, intelligence, and knowledge in craftsmanship; artistry in both metals and textiles, carving of wood. Craftsmanship is a gift from God, one He gives for His purpose.

If you have artistic gifts, gifts of craftsmanship, do not discount your usefulness to His Kingdom. It is His gift to you. Begin asking Him today how you can freely give it back to Him for His work.

Father God, reveal the gifts You've given me to serve You.

Maybe gifts I haven't recognized as useful to You.

Show me how and where to use all You've given me,

for Your glory.

In the Wilderness: Exodus 35:1-29

Giving freely: Exodus 35:1-29
Read God's Word online by clicking the link above or in your Bible.

All the men and women, the people of Israel, whose heart moved them

to bring anything for the work that the Lord had commanded by Moses to be done

brought it as a freewill offering to the Lord.

Exodus 35:29 ESV

Moses went among the people sharing the plans for the tabernacle. Then he called them to give everything needed to make it happen.

By faith Moses saw the unseen on the mountain. By faith he called the people to give materials unattainable in the wilderness. There was no need to take a vote among the people on whether to do it or not. God said. That was that.

There was no concern over where the materials would come from or what the budget would be. God said. He would provide. Provide He did, through the people He rescued from slavery. And they brought it all as a freewill offering.

freewill... voluntary, spontaneous -- Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary

Those whose hearts were moved, gave freely to the One who had freed them. They gave without fear of scarcity. They knew all they had was a gift from Him. So they freely gave it back to Him for His use.

The same is true for us. He is the One who freed us from sin and death. And everything we have is a gift from Him. We too should give what He's given back to Him, freely, voluntarily, spontaneously, for His use and His glory.

What freewill offering have you given lately? Your prayers? Your gifts? Your presence? Your service? Your witness?

God has gifted us each in so many different ways, but all for one purpose: Building His Kingdom.

Consider today what you have to give, how you feel about giving, and what you're currently using your gifts for.

"...Freely you have received; freely give. ..."--Jesus

Matthew 10:8 NIV

Father God, open my heart to the blessing of giving back to You for Your glory.

In the Wilderness: Exodus 34

A do-over: Exodus 34
Open up your Bible or open up the link above to read His Word.

"The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and fourth generation."

Exodus 34:6-7 ESV

God called Moses back up the mountain for a do-over. The tablets Moses carried down the first time, he broke on the ground as he watched God's people break every commandment written on them (Exodus 32:19). In His grace, God told Moses to cut new tablets like the first and come alone to meet with Him on the mountain.

As rebellious as the people had been. As impetuous as Moses had been. God chose to be gracious and try again. After all, that's who He is... merciful and gracious...

On his second visit up the mountain, God passed by Moses as He said He would. As He passed by He declared His name so Moses would know and be able to tell His people exactly who He is... slow to anger... 

God's character trait slow to anger can be dangerous. The people stirred up God's anger once. They almost lost His presence. They had a small taste of His anger, but they needed to remember He is serious about His commandments.

Sometimes we mistake God's patience and loving kindness for approval... forgiveness... indifference... and keep right on doing what we know is contradictory to His law. But He clearly says He is a God who will by no means clear the guilty... A price must be paid for every sin. He is every bit as much a God of justice and holiness as He is grace and mercy.

God's law was fulfilled by Jesus. Even punishment for every sin committed. Jesus satisfied God's wrath on the cross. Through His resurrection He was justified. Through trusting belief we can be justified too. Forgiven. Every sin atoned for through Jesus's sacrifice. No more passing guilt from generation to generation.

But make no mistake. Even though Believers are free from the law, every sin comes with consequences. Painful ones built right in. And one sure sign of salvation is the desire for holiness in our lives here and now. Loving Him through obedience with every moment of time we have left. Not because of fear, but because we love Him.

Jesus made the way for everyone to have a do-over, by faith. One we need to continually walk in, as long as we are in these bodies of flesh. One we should never take for granted. And be thankful for each and every day.

Father God, what a gracious gift to make the Way for a Do-over!

May I use mine to bless You and Your people every moment

of every day.

In the Wilderness: Exodus 33

His presence: Exodus 33
Click the link above or read it in your Bible today.

The Lord said to Moses, "Depart; go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob... but I will not go with you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people."

Exodus 33:1, 3 ESV

God said... Go without Me... or I might destroy you... The golden calf stirred God's anger to the point where He was just about done with this stiff-necked people. He told Moses to go on without Him, an angel would go before them, but not Him.

This was disastrous news to Moses and the people. God's presence is the one thing which makes His people unique among all people in the world. And He would no longer be with them.

"...Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?"

Exodus 33:16 ESV

His presence was seen as a pillar of cloud. When the pillar was seen at the tent of meeting, the people stopped what they were doing. Rose up. And worshiped.

God's presence isn't physically visible to most of us these days. But His presence can definitely be sensed. We who believe in, trust in, His Son as Savior, the One who died for our sins and rose from the dead, have His Spirit, His presence, within us.

Do you sense Him each day? do you allow Him to lead you? are you at a loss, when He seems lost to you?

Not only do we have His Spirit internally, but He still shows up in places. Fills places. Descending into the midst of His people. Wherever they are seeking Him.

When was the last time you sensed His presence and couldn't help but rise up in worship? raise a hand in praise? have you ever?

The presence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Believers makes us unique among all the people of the world. The evidence is seen in our lives. What comes from the working of the Spirit in our hearts. It's a very different picture than that of unbelievers, those living by the desires of the flesh.

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. ... But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23 ESV

The question today is: Does your life reflect the presence of the Holy Spirit? Do you think it disastrous if you do not sense Him in your day? in your worship?

The Israelites were wandering in the wilderness, spiritual babies trying to learn how to follow God, how to deal with their fears and reconcile their pasts with their present and future. We are pretty much the same. But they did know the importance of His presence in their lives and mourned when He said: Go without Me... and they repented.

What about you?

Oh Lord, forgive me for the times I've taken Your presence

in my life for granted. Forgive me for every time I have grieved Your Spirit or

quenched Your Spirit's work in my life. Open the eyes of my heart afresh

to Your presence. May I stop. Rise up. And worship.

In the Wilderness: Exodus 32

More lessons in the wilderness: Exodus 32
Read the heartbreaking story yourself, click the link or open up your Bible.

"...As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt,

we do not know what has become of him."

Exodus 32:1 ESV

The Israelites did not know God. They knew of the God their fathers worshiped, but they did not know God.

The Israelites credited the man Moses with bringing them out of Egypt... not God. They went to Aaron, Moses's mouthpiece, the one they heard speak and saw wield the staff to usher in the wonders of God, and they asked him to make a god for them. As if a god could be made!

The sons of Israel spent 400 years in Egypt and had no concept of God. He was not personal to them. They knew of Him, but they did not know Him. They knew enough to cry out to Him, but in Moses they saw only a man, not God working through him.

They had no fear of the Lord. After centuries serving a culture filled with gods of gold, they asked Aaron to do the same. Aaron, being one of them, did just as they asked.

Oh my... my heart breaks at this story...

This is what happens when people live by the faith of those who have gone before them, never taking ownership of their own faith, never wrestling with God themselves like Jacob.

In a lot of ways, the church today is like the Jews of Egypt. Many have heard of God and continue to follow the faith of their fathers and mothers, but they've never made it their faith. This is where idolatry and little-g gods creep into the church in the form of worship style, traditions, and following people rather than the One True God.

When unbelievers fill the church and its places of leadership things begin to go terribly wrong and breeds a generation of stiff-necked people who are not teachable. They are far from God but they don't know it. Aaron even declared a feast to the Lord, hijacking God's name and giving it to a lifeless idol of gold.

God's anger burned against the Israelites, but Moses interceded on their behalf.

God's anger burned against all mankind, but Jesus interceded on our behalf. Willingly taking our place to make atonement for our sins. Willingly having the Father's wrath poured out on Himself, rather than seeing us destroyed.

Jesus tells a parable depicting the state of the church.

"The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. ..."

Matthew 13:24-26 ESV

Weeds among the wheat. While the faithful slept the sleep of complacency, failing to teach the next generations how to know God, the enemy came and planted weeds. lies. unbelief. faux faith.

Jesus went on to explain how the weeds must be allowed to grow with the wheat or some of the wheat might be lost. There will come the day of harvest, He said, when all will be separated.

So for now, He allows unbelievers in the church, either deceiving themselves or being deceived that they are Believers, so as not to lose a single soul. 

The longer I walk with God, the more I long for His church to be right. The more I look forward to the Day of harvest. Because right now, even though it's a picture of His grace. My heart breaks for His church.

But, there is always a remnant. Just like the Levites who stood for the Lord and fought against the enemy, there is wheat among the weeds. A remnant. We are called to remember our battle is not against flesh and blood but a spiritual one. We are called to serve like Jesus. Laying down our lives in love, so others might see and believe.

Lord, fill me with Your love for Your people.

Fill me with Your passion for Your church.

Use me to raise up wheat and be a witness to the weeds.

I long for the Day when all will be set right.

Let it be so.

In the Wilderness: Exodus 31

Instructions to those who will build: Exodus 31
Click the link above to read online or open up your Bible.

The Lord said to Moses, "See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, and knowledge and all craftsmanship... And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you...

Exodus 31:1-3, 6 ESV

We saw God provide the resources for the building of the tabernacle; resources provided even before they knew what they were for. Today, we see Him provide the ability, skill, and knowledge to do what He called His people to do. He doesn't call His people to task without equipping them with both the means and ability to do what He commands.

Those in Christ are created for specific works, calls, invitations to serve His Kingdom.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10 ESV

Just like Bezalel, He has called, prepared, and equipped us to do good works for Him and His people.

Have you heard His call on your life? 

Have you heard, but thought: I can't do that...?

He is calling you. And He will provide the means, skill, knowledge, and ability to do whatever He asks you to. He's already provided you with spiritual gifts. Do you know what they are? Maybe you haven't recognized them because you haven't stepped out in faith to exercise them. If you are in Christ Jesus, you were created, Hand-crafted, for specific good works.

God also calls His people to work in a specific way, a holy way. Different from the world.

Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord.

Exodus 31:15 ESV

The world of the Egyptian slave demanded work be done seven days a week. This is not God's way. He called His people to work six days a week and trust Him for the seventh. 

Our lives today, feel much the same. We can easily find ourselves slaves to the 24/7 taskmaster of the world. We are no longer under the law, but there is wisdom in the law. It is wise to take a day to rest and refresh, not to indulge the desires of our flesh, but to spend time with God in prayer and worship. Devote a day to Him, thanking Him for all He's provided. It's also a time to love others. Reconnect with family, friends, see to those in need.

There is great purpose in devoting a day to the Lord. It separates us from the world. And when we do make time for Him in our week, time seems to multiply. Things get done. We don't know how, but He is faithful to provide.

God calls and equips us to work, but He is not a worldly taskmaster. He is a God of grace and justice. A holy God, who calls us to work and rest in Him.

How are you working these days? for Him? or for the world?

(Just a note, if you're working for self... you're working for the world...)

Father God, open my ears and heart to hear the invitation You are calling me to. Show me where I'm working for the world and neglecting Your call. Fill me with faith and boldness to serve You and trust You to provide all that's needed. Both in work and rest.

In the Wilderness: Exodus 30:17-38

Washing and anointing: Exodus 30:17-38
If you don't have your Bible handy, click the link above to read online.

A basin to wash off the grime of the world and anointing oil to consecrate and make holy the priests for service.

Holy. It's a word we use often, but do we really understand what it means?

The original Hebrew means: apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness (Enhanced Strong's Lexicon). And Merriam-Webster's defines holy as devoted entirely to the deity or the work of the deity. In this case, the One True God.

Priests who served God in the tabernacle cleaned off the dirt of the world with water in a specially made basin and separated themselves from the ways of the world to God's use by a special anointing oil. The oil could not be used for any other purpose. The priests had a distinct role in the community, serving as advocates for the people before God.

Jesus is our ultimate Advocate.

You know what has happened... how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

Acts 10:38 NIV

Father God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit in order to bring healing to us. It was His anointing which enabled Him to stand in the gap for us before the Father as our Savior. Along with salvation, He made the way for us to be anointed into the priesthood of Believers. We, too, are called to live separate from the world, by the same power He does.

Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ.

He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit

in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

2Corinthians 1:21-22 NIV

God is with us in the form of the Holy Spirit. His work is to sanctify us. Move us toward an ever increasing holiness. Teaching us to serve God alone, for His use and purpose. We are not to use our lives for our purposes or the world's.

I'm not sure we appreciate what has been done for us. What we are called to do and the great power we have access to in order to grow spiritually.

The primary work of the Believer is to trust in Jesus. Believe in Him to the point of obeying Him in all things. Loving Him and allowing Him to teach us how to love others.

Through the anointing of the Holy Spirit we become new creations with a new purpose, wholly separated from the ways of the world.

Are you living in separateness by the power of the Holy Spirit? are you in the world but not of the world?

Prayerful examination of where we are, through His Word and the Spirit, cleanses us. Washing away the strongholds of sin in our lives. As we grow in Christ, we learn to walk by the Spirit and no longer give into the desires of the flesh.

Holiness is serious business. One which should not be taken lightly.

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Ephesians 4:30 ESV

Spend time in prayer. Ask God to reveal to you the spiritual reality of what He has done for you. Who you are in Him. And what He calls you to do in response.

In the Wilderness: Exodus 30:1-16

The altar of incense: Exodus 30:1-16
Read the passage before the words below. Click the link in the reference or find it in your Bible.

And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it. Every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall burn it, and when Aaron sets up the lamps he shall burn it, and when Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he shall burn it, a regular incense offering before the Lord throughout your generations. ... 

It is most holy to the Lord.

Exodus 30:7-8, 10 ESV

Fragrant incense was to burn as a regular offering before the Lord, both morning and evening, throughout all generations.

As I read the words, a verse from the psalms came to mind:

Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,

and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!

Psalm 141:2 ESV

The psalmist made a connection between the incense offerings before God to the prayers of His people. I can't help but think the offerings of incense, continually and generationally, are a picture of how we are to pray, and how He receives our prayers. 

The house of God is to be a house of prayer. Prayerful Believers offering prayers like incense, morning and evening. Raising hands like an evening sacrifice. Teaching those after us to also lift up their hands in prayer.

The New Testament echoes this picture of continual prayer:

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV

And [Jesus] told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray

and not lose heart.

Luke 18:1 ESV

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Romans 12:12 ESV

...praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication...

Ephesians 6:18 ESV

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.

Colossians 4:2 ESV

...do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Philippians 4:6 ESV

Every Believer, a house of God. Every prayer, holy to the Lord.

...the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

Revelation 5:8 ESV

Are you praying continually? offering a sweet aroma of sacrifice before the Lord with requests? thanksgiving? praise?

Consider your prayer life, today. Make the necessary changes to bring your life in line with His will for you in Christ Jesus.

It will bless not only you, but Him and His Kingdom.

Lord, teach me to pray. Remind me to lift up my hands before You,

each morning and evening. Grow me to pray continually.

In the Wilderness: Exodus 29

The ordination & consecration of the priests: Exodus 29
Click the link above to read today's passage or open up your Bible.

They shall eat those things with which atonement was made

at their ordination and consecration...

Exodus 29:33

The dedication of the priests to service was an elaborate ceremony. Seven days of animal sacrifices, sprinkling with blood, sin offerings, burnt offerings, wave offerings, peace offerings, eating holy meals with the Lord. This was the Old Testament way.

We, in Christ, are priests, too. We have been dedicated to God's service through the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, once for all. Cleansed by the sprinkling of His blood. Baptized with water. And we too eat a holy meal with the Lord as His priests.

Like the priests, we eat those things with which atonement was made at our ordination through believing trust in Jesus as our Savior.

...the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."

1Corinthians 11:23-25 ESV

Jesus is the Lamb of God and the Bread of Life. In His presence, we eat of His body and drink the covenant of His blood as a means of remembering who we are in Him.

We are ordained His priests once by faith. But we repeatedly eat the holy meal as a reminder, because we are forgetful people. We need to constantly be reminded we are a people saved by grace, called to offer up our lives as living sacrifices for His use and purpose.

With the consecration of the tabernacle priests, we hear God say: I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God.

With our consecration in the new covenant we get an even better promise. His Spirit abides with us and in us. And He will never leave or forsake, those who trust in Him.

"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. ..."

John 14:15-17 ESV

The priesthood of God is unique among the people of the world. We are to be set apart for His service in all we do. Consecrated to the Lord.

Have you fully embraced your role as priest?

Yesterday, we received communion during worship, the holy meal served to His priests. Reflect on your experience. Ask Him to reveal the spiritual reality which took place as you ate with Him the means of your atonement.

Amen.

In the Wilderness: Exodus 28

The priests' garments detailed by God in Exodus 28.
Click the link above to read online or open up your Bible.

And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother,

for glory and for beauty.

Exodus 28:2

Aaron, the first high priest, portrayed Jesus, our ultimate High Priest, by what He wore. 

Aaron was clothed in holy garments for glory and beauty.

Jesus, clothed in holiness, is glorious and beautiful.

Aaron bore the judgment of his brothers and sisters. The names of the tribes of Israel on his shoulders and over his heart.

Thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel

on his heart before the Lord regularly.

Exodus 28:30

Jesus bore the judgment of the world on His shoulders stretched out on a cross. His heart filled with love for His people. Becoming not only our High Priest, but also the perfect sacrifice.

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed

1Peter 2:24 ESV

Aaron's garments, a picture of who we are as God's chosen priests in Christ.

As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

1Peter 2:4-5 ESV

Aaron dressed in garments representing the One he foreshadowed. Elaborate, beautiful garments, and atop his head a turban with an engraved signet across his forehead reading: Holy to the Lord.

We, in Christ, His holy priesthood, also have a holy garment to wear, which represents the One who came.

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

Colossians 3:12-14 ESV

Do you see yourself as chosen by God? holy and beloved?

Have you embraced your role as a member of His holy priesthood? a representative of Christ to the world?

Are you prepared to offer spiritual sacrifices in Jesus's name so others might be forgiven? saved?

Today, consider who you are in Christ. Surrender to the sanctification of the Holy Spirit. Allow Him to dress you in holy garb. And write across your forehead: Holy to the Lord.

Lord, what a picture of who You are and who I am in You.

Just as You prepare my heart to draw near You,

prepare me to fully engage in my call as one of Your priests.

In the Wilderness: Exodus 27:9-21

Plans for the tabernacle continue: Exodus 27:9-21
Click the link above to read at BibleGateway.com

"You shall make the court of the tabernacle. ..."

Exodus 27:9

Around the tent of meeting, the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies, was a courtyard. 

The courtyard created a barrier around God's presence. Not just anyone could approach. For many, the closest they could get was inside the courtyard. The curtains of the court of the tabernacle protected unclean people, according to the law, from coming too close. It is deadly business to come before God without the covering of a blood sacrifice.

Many desired to be near God by coming into His court. David put into words his desire to be as close as he could get to God.

My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord;

my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.

...

For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God

than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

Psalm 84:2, 10 ESV

For God's people who belonged to the old covenant, His court was something they longed to enter. To be there just one day, was better than anywhere else. And to stand at the doorway of the court was better than a life among the worldly.

The new covenant, brought a new Way. We do not have to settle for just being in God's courtyard. Jesus made a new and living way straight into the throne room. We can be as near to God as we desire.

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace,

that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:16 ESV

Do you long to be near God? Do you take advantage of the full access available to you through Christ's sacrifice?

There is nothing better in this world, nothing more satisfying, than an intimate relationship with your heavenly Father, through Jesus, by way of the Spirit.

God ahead. Test me on this. I guarantee you it's true...

Lord, thank You for making the way to come into Your presence.

Reveal and remove whatever keeps me on the outskirts of a 

relationship with You.

In the Wilderness: Exodus 27:1-8

The altar: Exodus 7:1-8
Open up your Bible or the link above to read the Word.

As it has been shown you on the mountain, so shall it be made.

Exodus 27:8

God's instruction to Moses continued for the preparation of the tabernacle and its furnishings. God's dwelling place among His people.

Today, the altar. Eight short verses. I wonder what to do with these.

I go to my favorite commentary to see what he says.

As God intended the tabernacle to manifest his presence among his people, so there they were to pay their devotions to him, not in the tabernacle itself (into that only the priests entered as God's domestic servants), but in the court before the tabernacle, where, as common subjects, they attended. There an altar was ordered to be set up, to which they must bring their sacrifices, and on which their priests must offer them to God: and this altar was to sanctify their gifts.

--Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (emphasis added)

 ...and this altar was to sanctify their gifts.

This altar with fire below. Burning. Purifying. The gifts brought before God.

And I think about all we bring. Our prayers. Our presence. Our gifts. Our service. Our witness. All need be sanctified by His altar of grace.

Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice of Himself to make our gifts, our lives, our service, acceptable before the Father. We cannot bring our gifts apart from His grace and expect to be received.

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'..."

Matthew 7:21-23 ESV

We cannot serve Him our way. We must serve through the sanctification of the Holy Spirit. The Fire set upon the church at Pentecost.

We are called to lay our gifts on His altar. Let them be sanctified by His sacrifice and then used at the direction of the Holy Spirit. As God shows us by His Spirit, so shall we serve.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is acceptable and perfect.

Romans 12:1-2 ESV

In the surrendering our lives. Laying them down on the altar of sacrifice, we begin to see what God's will is. What is good, acceptable, and perfect to Him.

Only by the power of the Holy Spirit are we sanctified to be the servants God intends us to be. Only by following the direction of the Holy Spirit are we able to come to know His purpose for our lives.

Have you laid yourself on His altar of grace? along with all you have to give?

Have you invited the Holy Spirit to sanctify you? through conviction? obedience?

Followers of Jesus lay down their lives on the altar of grace He's prepared and allow His Spirit to sanctify us through and through for His service.

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God...

for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

2Timothy 1:6-7 ESV

Lord, sanctify me by the power of Your Holy Spirit.

In the Wilderness: Exodus 26

God continues to show Moses the plans for the tabernacle: Exodus 26
Open up the Word with your Bible or by clicking the link above to go to BibleGateway.com.

And the veil shall separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy.

Exodus 26:33

God continued showing Moses the plans for the tabernacle the Israelites were to construct, the place where His presence would dwell among His people. Remember, what God showed Moses are physical representations of the spiritual reality.

Today in our reading, we see three distinct aspects of the tabernacle:

Division. God describes the intricate woven veils and curtains which will divide the tabernacle from the people. They even divide the parts of the tabernacle: the Holy Place from the Most Holy. The dividing curtains were beautiful, but they represented division between God and His people. He was unapproachable apart from sacrifice because of sin.

Covering. Over the division, God showed Moses how to prepare a covering. The beauty would be covered by something very ordinary: goatskins and ram skins. Those who did not know God dwelt in the tabernacle would miss the beautiful glory of His presence by the ordinariness of the protective covering of the skins.

Framework. Holding up the division and the covering was a framework of poles set in bases with crossbars. A framework supporting the entire tabernacle and God's place among the people. The framework of our faith is His Word. It establishes the division between us and Him: Creator to created. It establishes the covering of His protection in our lives as we follow His Word. It is the framework for life, revealing His presence in the ordinary, revealing His beauty through faith.

Connecting this physical representation to the spiritual reality, we see Jesus, the Word made flesh. He came in the ordinariness of a human being, but to those who were blessed with eyes to see, He contained the glory of God's presence on earth. He showed us what it means to live out God's Word as the framework for our lives.

Not only is He the framework, but the covering of protection. He came to cover our sins with His blood making a way for us to be reconciled to God. The tabernacle was the forerunner of the temple. Just as the tabernacle had a veil dividing man from God, so did the temple. And when Jesus died on the cross, the curtain in the temple tore in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:50-51). Jesus, through His sacrifice, made a way through the dividing curtain of holiness so we could enter into God's presence by faith rather than personal sacrifice.

New Testament Believers have His Word to support us. His blood as a covering. And eyes of faith to see His beauty, and a Way to enter His presence.

Jesus is the Tabernacle.

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith...

Hebrews 10:19-22 ESV

Father God, You are the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

You have always wanted to dwell with those You created.

Grow my faith to take full advantage of the access You've

given me to Your presence through Jesus by way of the Spirit.

In the Wilderness: Exodus 25:10-40

God begins giving Moses the plans for the items of the tabernacle in Exodus 25:10-40.
Click the reference above to read online.

And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain.

Exodus 25:40

God began His list of furnishings for the tabernacle with the ark. He gave instructions on materials, size, design, and use. He did the same for the table and the lampstand. Then He commanded Moses to make them just as He showed him.

There two things that strike me about this passage. First, the list of items needed. God asked these people who were slaves for four hundred years and now wandering in the wilderness to make an offering of precious metals, dyed yarns and linens, leathers, wood, olive oil, spices, and precious gems (Exodus 25:1-7). All to be used in the construction of the tabernacle.

You may be wondering where slaves would get such riches to offer. But remember, the night of the Exodus, the night of the tenth plague? The Lord instructed Moses to tell the people to ask for riches from the Egyptians as they left (Exodus 11:1-2).

The people of Israel had also done as Moses told them, for they had asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.

Exodus 12:35-36 ESV

God does not call us to do anything without equipping us for the call. He already provided the Israelites with offerings from the Egyptians to give to Him what was needed for the building of the tabernacle and its furnishings. They didn't know it at the time, but God knew what He was equipping them for.

What is God calling you to do? How has He equipped you to offer what He's given you back to Him in service?

The second thing of note is the design. God was very specific about the items and adamant about the instructions being followed just as He showed Moses. This was not just any community gathering place the Israelites were constructing. The tabernacle was where God's presence would dwell among the people.

God dwells in highest heaven, but He was making a way to be among His chosen people. The design was based on His eternal home in heaven. The earthly tabernacle a copy of the original.

They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: "See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."

Hebrews 8:5 NIV

The ark and its mercy seat. The table for bread. The lampstand for light. All these are in heaven. Originals. All used in our approach and worship of God. Jesus ultimately our Ark, fulfilling the law with His life and offering us a place of mercy. Jesus, the Bread of Life, without which we cannot live. Jesus, the Light of the world, our source of truth and the light of life.

The tabernacle was a shadow of the spiritual reality in which we live. And in Christ, we are His tabernacle, His temple, the dwelling of God's Spirit on earth.

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

1Corinthiasn 6:19-20 NIV

God has a plan for His temples on earth too, for His church. It is found in His Word and understood by the instruction and teaching of the Holy Spirit by faith in Christ Jesus. His instructions are just as adamant, His plans just as clear.

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 

for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

1Peter 1:15 NIV

He has a plan for His life in you. Are you following His Way?

You are God's tabernacle on earth through Christ Jesus. Make sure His presence is seen clearly through you. He equips you with what you need to fulfill His call and shows you the way in His Word.

Father God, work in my life to make me a light for You in this dark world.

Work out all the dark in me, so I will live holy like You.