Know God - day 10

Exodus 25:10-22, 26:1-14, 32, 33

What is God saying here? Besides giving tons of instructions for building the ark of the covenant and all it's accoutrements.   He was giving the people 2 places to meet him - the Ark and the Tabernacle. The Israelites wanted to see God. And he accommodated them.  Pastor details one account of when the Ark was stolen, but then given back when the thieves became too frightened of it! God was very specific in his instructions for the Ark - down to the smallest detail.

God is showing us his multidimensional self.  The companion and friend wanting intimacy. And the holy, awesome, fearful God that is such we can't see his face.  The is the God that is good, but certainly not tame.  Which one is your favorite?  I like aspects of both - the companion. the comforter.  the solid, secure one. the one who I know is there and in charge - no matter what. the one I fear because I know I am weak and unable.  I pray that I can grow more in knowing both sides of God more fully.

Then Moses was on Mt. Sinai for many days.  The people grew impatient and ungrateful.  They wanted to worship something they could see. so the silly fools made an idol to worship.  God was so angry he wanted to consume them.  God was furious. This was a blatant sin against his laws. and Aaron helped.

Today we tend to minimize sin.  Oh - that was a little sin.  It's not like I killed anyone.  God doesn't really care or notice. He has bigger things to do. Right??  Nope.  Pastor writes, "God gets burned by sin too. It hurts his heart. And if we doubt that, we need to remember that those sins that we'd like to excuse were serious enough to necessitate the suffering and death of God's son."  This is why we need to remember that God is awesome yet friendly, good but not tame.  (Should I post the lyrics to Awesome God here??? When he rolls up his sleeves, he ain't just puttin' on the ritz, there's thunder in his footsteps and lightening in his fists.)   God is a relenting God.

Pastor encourages us to use this as a time to repent.  Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."  How many times do you have to say I'm sorry? Are we really worthy of God's mercy and grace?  I know I am not bold and approaching God with boldness is a difficult thought.  Can we still receive God's mercy and grace if we approach timidly. tearful. crawling?

God the told Moses to go to the land he'd promised.  But Moses would be without god.    How terrifying!!!

God is telling us that when we sin, we are on our own.  He won't extinguish us (sounds so much nicer than kill us where we sit), but he won't work with us. travel with us.  Moses response was, 33:15 "If your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here."  basically - if you aren't going, neither am I! so there!!!  hmpf.

Pastor wrote a prayer for us to say, "God, I desperately want you in my life. I have often gone my own way - not always journeying with you. Therefore, I confess my sins.  I want to worship you first again. And I ask (and here's the hard part) that you leave me in my wilderness, if that's what it takes to have you with me, rather than letting me go where I want to go (if you won't be coming along)."

Are we willing to stay in the wilderness and look for God there? Pastor encourages us to talk to God about this.  I am tired of being in a wilderness.  being lonely. searching for God's will and path.  There are many times i want to strike out on my own. many times I actually start to...but I always come back.  I am so weak. stubborn. rebellious.  tired. so tired.  Am I staying in the wilderness to look for God or am I returning again and again because it is safe. familiar.  even pain-familiar pain-is easier than new challenges.  safer than making yourself vulnerable when trying to heal. opening yourself up to hurt over and over.  laying yourself out for others to get to know.  Where is God in the wilderness? Is he really there?