AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD

  I know that the Cross Church, a church plant of our church in another location,  has a major challenge in setting up worship at the school where they meet each Sunday, but what I read from Exodus 38-40, those people also had major challenges in setting up to worship.  My mind and heart run to Zambia, Mozambique, and Malawi where some of my loved ones have a ministry, Evangelism Partnership International.  I have a list of 155 of the new "churches"  who gather to worship in buildings which they made bricks and constructed, in schools,  in sheds, under trees, and under a mango tree.  The majority of the "churches" meet under trees. The summers are very hot and the winters are coolish and rainy.  Of course, we have the privilege of meeting to worship in heated, air conditioned, and in solid comfort of well- constructed buildings.  The statement from Scripture quickly grabs my mind, "To whom much is given; much is required."  Luke 12:48b 

It was God who put within us, by His own words, "Let us make man in our image."  Within us, He must have included the innate desire to worship something/someone greater than ourselves. With this Tent of Meeting or Tabernacle shown in the illustration, it required hours to set up in the location and then hours to take down, place on carts, or physically carrying as they moved on to the next campsite. Obviously, we need a physical location to meet with our LORD.

For the first setting up to worship, Moses records: "Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.  Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle."  The cloud represented the Presence of the Lord.  They had seen the cloud with them to protect them from the sun in the desert, and fire was in the cloud at night for light and warmth.  They understood the significance of the cloud's presence.

Whether in corporate worship or in my own private "War Room" which I have entitled as a meeting place for my early mornings with the Lord, (Thank you, Priscilla Shirer) how I would love for the glory of the LORD to so fill this very room or fill the worship center where the body meets or even in the classrooms where the Word of God is studied!  Do I give the Spirit of God invitation to come into my room and fill me with His presence as I move through His Word?  Am I prepared to meet with Him?  Is my mind yielded so that I can hear Him speak? Am I receptive to what is being spoken as the Word of God?  After reading the Word or hearing the Word, what is the effect in or on my life?  Have I been willing to align my life with the Truth of God's Word?  Holy Spirit of God, I want the time in the Word NOT be about a habit or a discipline, but that it be about the relationship with you to hear and to obey.  I desire to please YOU, praise You, and honor You.  Fill and fuel me for today with YOUR presence to YOUR glory. #IHAVETHREESONS