God Among Us

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
Exodus 29 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
44 “Yes, I will consecrate the Tabernacle and the altar, and I will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests. 45 Then I will live among the people of Israel and be their God, 46 and they will know that I am the LORD their God. I am the one who brought them out of the land of Egypt so that I could live among them. I am the LORD their God.” (Exodus 29:44-46, NLT)


REFLECTIONS:
It would be a mistake to consider Exodus a book short on mercy, grace, or the steadfast love of God. A mercurial grace flashes from one end of the great story to the other. Who fought for the slaves and set them free? Who stood by them at the Red Sea (chapter 14)? Who made certain they had food and water in the desert (chapters 16-17)? Was it not God who gave them his name? His law? His word? Who guided them by day and night through a trackless wilderness? Was it not Yahweh who forgave their sins, renewed his commitment and covenant, and continued to lead them—despite their creation of the grotesque calf of gold to worship (chapter 32)? Was it not God himself who chose to live among them, so close he could be touched—the immortal gracing mortality with its splendor? He chose to be present and not distant, to show Moses his glory, to get up close and personal as when one speaks with a friend—so close, in fact, as to make the skin of Moses’ face blaze (34:29-35). Beyond all the trumpet blasts and darkness and earthquakes and roughness, Yahweh ultimately chose to show love and compassion. He ultimately chose to grace the Israelites with his very presence, chose to dwell among them, to be their God—personal and intimately known. What a lavish display of love!


POINT OF PONDER:
Personally speaking, the idea of God's presence and activity in my daily life is a concept I know in my mind, yet often fail to live with. Simply put, I tend to forget that my God is with me. This is completely unintentional, of course. I just lose sight of his presence. But I'm ready for that to change! Today, I'm inviting God to make himself known to me. 

In the verses we read today, God said: “I will live among the people of Israel and be their God, and they will know that I am the LORD their God.” Today, I want to be hit with the full force and weight of God's presence and activity in my life. I want to know him as he wants to be known.

I recently discovered a quote highlighting God's abiding presence in my life. It's a simple quote, easy enough to remember and to recite throughout the day. I've been seeking to go back to this quote often, reminding myself of its truth in order that I might live—really live!—in the knowledge of God's continuous presence in my life. I encourage you to join with me and reflecting on this quote as we consider what it means for God to dwell among us: 

There is no place where God is not,

wherever I go, there God is.

Now and always he holds me with his power

and keeps me safe in his love.

(Anonymous)

 

WHO AM I?
I am Tres Sansom, and I have been LOVING the weather the last several days. Yes, I've spent the afternoons doing my best lizard impersonation (hat tip to Sky Streety), soaking in as much sun as I can. I've been alternating between reading NT Wright's book entitled Simply Jesus and playing frisbee with our Border Collie, Dolly. I'm about a quarter of the way into the book, and so far it's been great! I'd probably be further along if our pooch would quit with her incessant begging.