Day 38 of 365...
Exodus 25-27
Key Passages/Thoughts:
Ex 25:16 - "Put the tablets of the testimony that I will give you into the ark."
How awesome would it be to have a written testimony of what God said carried around in a ornate container that was built to the specifics that God gave. Well, 1 out of 2 isn't bad. We DO have a written testimony of what God said, and it's 60+ books more than what the Israelites had! I take for granted that that we have thousands of years of God's history that we can carry around in our hand, on our phones, listen to in our car, download on iTunes, and hear preached about 24 hours a day. Let that sink in for a minute. God's written Word is more accessible now than it has ever been! Yet, there are still millions if not billions of people in this world who don't have a Scripture to read, much less know of God's redeeming love. Then, I think about the numerous translations of the Bible sitting on my shelf at home, and how easy it is to get a different translation if I wanted one. Do I take all this for granted? Every single day! I hear stories of persecuted Christians in China who cling to one page torn out of the Bible because that's all they have access to, yet there are times when I'm too lazy or too busy to open the cover of the Bible that sits on my nightstand.
The Israelites had an ornate reminder of God's presence and God's Word in the form of the Ark of the Covenant. Today, my reminder of God's presence is His Holy Spirit living in me. My reminder of God's Word is, well, His Word. So, that's 2 advantages over the Israelites. I have all of God's spoken Word in the Scripture that I read, and I actually have God living inside my soul in the form of the Holy Spirit. A third advantage we have over the Israelites is that God speaks directly to us. We don't have to hear what He says through a third party. God spoke to the Israelites through Moses and Aaron, but He speaks to me through His Holy Spirit. I am so thankful that God saw it fit for me to live now as opposed to during the Israelites wilderness adventure. I don't know if I would have survived very well during those times.
God I pray that I won't take the things You've given me for granted. Thank You that You speak directly to me. Thank You that I can read Your Word whenever I want. God give me emptiness when I don't commune with You every day. Help me to mourn for those who can't read Your Word and cry out for those who are persecuted for trying to read Your Word.
Ex 25:16 - "Put the tablets of the testimony that I will give you into the ark."
How awesome would it be to have a written testimony of what God said carried around in a ornate container that was built to the specifics that God gave. Well, 1 out of 2 isn't bad. We DO have a written testimony of what God said, and it's 60+ books more than what the Israelites had! I take for granted that that we have thousands of years of God's history that we can carry around in our hand, on our phones, listen to in our car, download on iTunes, and hear preached about 24 hours a day. Let that sink in for a minute. God's written Word is more accessible now than it has ever been! Yet, there are still millions if not billions of people in this world who don't have a Scripture to read, much less know of God's redeeming love. Then, I think about the numerous translations of the Bible sitting on my shelf at home, and how easy it is to get a different translation if I wanted one. Do I take all this for granted? Every single day! I hear stories of persecuted Christians in China who cling to one page torn out of the Bible because that's all they have access to, yet there are times when I'm too lazy or too busy to open the cover of the Bible that sits on my nightstand.
Ex 25:21-22 - "Set the mercy seat on top of the ark and put the testimony that I will give you into the ark. I will meet with you there above the mercy seat, between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the testimony; I will speak with you from there about all that I command you regarding the Israelites."
The Israelites had an ornate reminder of God's presence and God's Word in the form of the Ark of the Covenant. Today, my reminder of God's presence is His Holy Spirit living in me. My reminder of God's Word is, well, His Word. So, that's 2 advantages over the Israelites. I have all of God's spoken Word in the Scripture that I read, and I actually have God living inside my soul in the form of the Holy Spirit. A third advantage we have over the Israelites is that God speaks directly to us. We don't have to hear what He says through a third party. God spoke to the Israelites through Moses and Aaron, but He speaks to me through His Holy Spirit. I am so thankful that God saw it fit for me to live now as opposed to during the Israelites wilderness adventure. I don't know if I would have survived very well during those times.
God I pray that I won't take the things You've given me for granted. Thank You that You speak directly to me. Thank You that I can read Your Word whenever I want. God give me emptiness when I don't commune with You every day. Help me to mourn for those who can't read Your Word and cry out for those who are persecuted for trying to read Your Word.
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