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One thing that I love about the Word of God is that it is a living book. It has the same words every time you read it, but the message can change depending on what you need in that moment. God will open our eyes to revelation that we haven’t seen before as a reminder that He is still God over every situation. There are also certain areas of The Bible that may get overlooked because they seem redundant or less important like the laws in Leviticus or the lineages in Numbers, but I assure you that there is a purpose for all of what is written in the book. Today I want to look at a passage that seemed “preparatory” every time I read it, until God showed me something new. I want to look at Exodus Chapter 37, this is the building of the Ark of the Covenant. Verse 1 (NLT) says
“Next Bezalel made the Ark of acacia wood- a sacred chest 45 inches long, 27 inches wide and 27 inches high. He overlaid it inside and outside with pure gold and he ran a molding of gold all around it.”
Exodus 37:1 NLT
God spared no expense when he instructed them how to build that Ark that would carry His literal words within it. This ark was so Holy that there were strict instructions not to touch it. To carry it, there were poles attached to it and men carried the poles on their shoulders or if it was a longer distance, they would carry it on a new cart behind oxen. This is important because once they were transporting the Ark and the oxen stumbled and a man by the name of Uzzah reached out to steady the ark. The bible says that the anger of the Lord was aroused against him, and he was struck dead right there. This is how Holy the Ark was, no man should touch it, or he will die. This is where The Lord showed me something interesting.
In our passage, they were building the Ark. Furthermore, two chapters prior, in Chapter 35, The people bring the materials that Bezalel is using. What this means is not only had many people touched different pieces, but they brought it from their own homes, it was their offerings to God. What does this mean? God can use whatever we give Him access to for His glory. He can consecrate even the smallest of offerings. In chapter 35, the people brought the acacia wood and gold, but they also brought different colors of yarn and cloth because God was going to bless it all and make a beautiful Ark and temple out of what they gave. See we have seen God take territory before like when He met with Moses in the Wilderness to send him to Egypt to save the people, He told Moses that he was standing on Holy Ground. The thing is Moses was already there and had likely been in that exact spot many times. Or when the Presence of God covered the Mountain, that mountain was already there and I’m sure many people had been on that mountain, but the Israelites couldn’t even touch the base of the mountain, or they would die. But God also takes what we have and uses it for his Glory like Moses’ staff that he already had but it became a tool to lead the Israelites to safety and of course these items that became the Ark of the Covenant. What I am saying in all of this is that whatever we have can be blessed by God if we just give it to him. All your talents and giftings can be used by God if you allow him space to use them. Furthermore, wherever we are, as children of God, means his presence is there as well. When you are at work or just in your home, the presence of God is there, and place should feel like Holy Ground.
My prayer for you today is that you allow space for God to use the things you have and the spaces you walk in for His Glory so that others can see the blessings of God all over you and that even just your presence will shift atmospheres so that God can be felt.
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The passage illustrates the importance of being a beacon of light in dim, dark places, as guided by Luke 11:33-36. One must not let comfort lead to dulled awareness, but instead consciously illuminate one’s environment. It urges self-reflection on how one’s personal light can lead others towards embracing Jesus.
The Lord’s Prayer 11 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread, 4 and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone
The Beatitudes 20 And He raised His eyes toward His disciples and began saying, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 22 Blessed are you when the people hate you, and when they exclude you, and insult you, and scorn your
I have been lost a time or two. Usually, because I got distracted and wandered off the intended path. Whatever sparked my interest was enough to cause me to lose sight of my intended destination. In this passage, we find Jesus as a child, so focused on His Father’s business that he wanders off from his parents. In my own life, I’ve found that I’m not prone to wander towards my father’s business….but away from it.
If you or someone close to you is in need, we would be honored to lift you up in prayer. We believe in the power of prayer to bring peace, comfort, and reassurance during times of hardship. Our community is ready to join together and pray as we trust in God’s love and unending grace.
