Month: January 2020

Exodus 38:1 He made the alter of burnt offering of acacia wood. Five cubits was its length, and five cubits its breadth. It was square, and three cubits was its height.

Exodus 38 and 39 is a continuation of Exodus 37–the people are building and creating all that the LORD had commanded Moses, according to His exact specifications. Exodus 39:26 even talks about the decorations on the hem of the robe. This says to me that God absolutely cares about the details of our lives.

Exodus 39:5 And the skillfully woven band on it was of one piece with it and made like it, of gold, blue, and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Again, as in Exodus 36, I find this incredibly comforting instead of overwhelming. God cares about the details. He cares about the little things like bells and pomegranates around the hem of a robe. He cares about where I go, what I do, what I say, the choices I make. They matter. I matter. The details are important.

Exodus 39:26 …a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate around the hem of the robe for ministering, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder that You are a part of every aspect of my life, even the seemingly insignificant details. Thank You for that level of loving care. Help me, especially during those times where I feel insignificant myself, to remember that You care deeply about the details. The little things matter a great deal to You. I matter a great deal to You. Always. Draw me closer. Amen.

Exodus 39:32 Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was finished, and the people of Israel did according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses; so they did.

Have a blessed day.

Eph 3:16 I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being….

One of the reflections I read in the mornings led me back to Eph 3 this morning, and I was struck with the beauty that is the prayer in Eph 3:16-21.

Eph 3:17a …so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

May Christ strengthen you with the power of His Spirit through your inner being. May you, rooted and established in love, have the ability to grasp the magnitude and the depth and the beautiful fierceness of His love for you—no matter what.

Eph 3:17b And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love….

Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder of Your all-encompassing, over-flowing, never-ending love for us. May we understand that nothing we can ever do will sever Your love for us, that You provided a way back to You through Your Son, that You will welcome us with open arms. Be our compass, our shield, our refuge. Always. Draw us closer. Amen.

Eph 3:18 …may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ….

Have a blessed day. I love you.

Exodus 37:1 Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood.

I find it incredibly interesting that I read all the specifics today with a sense of comfort instead of the overwhelm I felt when God was giving the instructions and dimensions to Moses. Bezalel knew exactly how to build everything because God had been incredibly specific about how He wanted it.

Exodus 37:10 He also made the table of acacia wood.

Perhaps it has to do with my own personal comfort level. If you give me specifics about how you want something done, I can amaze you in the doing. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that I’ve wrapped up first semester and that stress is no longer wearing on me. Regardless, it is a much needed reminder that my feelings are fickle and I should not trust them.

Exodus 37:11 And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made a molding of gold around it.

Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder that You are outside of my fickle feelings, that You care deeply about the details of my life, that Your care is a comfort and not a restriction. Thank You for pursuing me with Your steadfast love. Draw me closer. Amen.

Exodus 37:25 He made the alter of incense of acacia wood.

Have a blessed day. I love you.

Exodus 36:3a And they received from Moses all the contributions that the people of Israel had brought for doing the work on the sanctuary.

This past Christmas season, my church did something called “Live simply so that others may simply live.” We had the opportunity to “adopt” residents at a local memory care facility, donate sleeping bags and air mattresses for homeless youth in our area, and buy farm animals to send to those in foreign countries. So many ways to help others.

Exodus 36:3b They still kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning.

One of the neatest things to come from it, besides the overwhelming involvement and outpouring from our church community, was the stories of folks who talked to others about the opportunities. Many folks ended up bringing in donations that coworkers had given or talked about how others took the idea back to their own churches. It was definitely a season of giving.

Exodus 36:5 …”The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the LORD has commanded us to do.”

Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the freewill offerings that come pouring out when we align ourselves with Your will. Thank You for allowing us to live simply so that others may simply live. Draw us closer. Amen.

Exodus 36:7 …for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more.

Have a blessed day. I love you.

Exodus 35:21 …and everyone who was willing and whose heart moved them came and brought an offering to the LORD….
God knows the difference between a cheerful giver and a grudging one. He understands our thoughts and motivations. Even if we fool the world with our actions, God understands our motives. And He wants us to give willingly, whether we are giving of our time, our resources, or our talents.
Exodus 35:22 All who were willing, men and women alike, came and brought gold jewelry of all kinds….
Sadly, this is an area where I struggle mightily at times, mostly in the giving of my time. I am an extreme introvert. People often exhaust me, and I find renewal in solitude, so when an obligation—even the name bespeaks grudgingness—necessitates my time, I can often be quite grumpy about it. Jesus, Help me.
Exodus 35:26 And all the women who were willing and had the skill spun goat hair.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that You have work for me to do, and that You call for me to give of my time, talents, and resources cheerfully. Help me to be a cheerful giver, LORD. Always. Draw me closer. Amen.
Exodus 35:29 All the Israelite men and women who were willing brought to the LORD freewill offerings for all the work the LORD through Moses had commanded them to do.
Have a blessed day.

Exodus 34:9a “Lord…if I have found favor in Your eyes, then let the Lord go with us….”
Even before reading the commentary, I had identified Exodus 34:9 as one of the verses I wanted to use for today’s reflection. The commentary made it even more meaningful. KJV translates this verse as “…if now I have found grace in thy sight,…let my Lord…go among us…and pardon our iniquity and our sin….”
Exodus 34:9b “…Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance.”
Moses knew the Israelites were a stiff-necked people. He was so angry at their disobedience while he was talking with God that he smashed the stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments. He could have asked God to exact justice, retribution, for their disobedience, but he asks for undeserved grace, for divine mercy instead. Thank You, Jesus.
Exodus 34:10a Then the LORD said, “I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in the world….”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Your lavish grace and undeserved mercy instead of the judgement we deserve. Thank You for going with us, for pursuing us, even though we are a stiff-necked people. Help us to show ourselves and each other the same grace and mercy that You lavish so freely upon us. Draw us closer. Amen.
Exodus 34:10b “…The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the LORD, will do for you.”
Have a blessed day.

Exodus 32:5 When Aaron saw this, he built an alter in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the LORD.”
Aaron fashioned the golden calf with his own hands, yet here he proclaims a festival to the LORD. Does he not fully realize what he’s done? Am I guilty of similar behavior when I worry and fret, eaten up with anxiety over “What ifs,” but proclaiming my complete devotion to my Savior? Jesus, Help me.
Exodus 32:9 “I have seen these people…and they are a stiff-necked people.”
I’ve always seen the Old Testament God as angry and wrathful, the New Testament God as much kinder and gentler. But in this walk through the Old Testament thus far, I have been surprised at the compassionate lengths God goes to for His people. I’ve also been surprised to see how similar I am to those stiff-necked people. Jesus, Help me.
Exodus 32:10 “Now leave Me alone so that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them….”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this deep look at Your nature and my own. Thank You for helping me see Your infinite love, grace, and mercy and the many obstacles I place in my own relationship with You. Draw me closer. Always. Amen.
Exodus 32:11-12 But Moses…said, “why should Your anger burn against Your people? … Turn from Your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on Your people.
Have a blessed day.

Exodus 32:1 When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods….”
Sadly, the behaviors in this chapter I can relate to all too easily. My default, when faced with uncertainty (whether from delay or any other cause) is anxiety, fear, worry. Do I make a golden image as the Israelites do? Of course not, but the outcome is the same—something takes my attention for my God. In my case, worry, anxiety, and fear eclipse my Savior. Jesus, Help me!
Exodus 32:2 Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings…and bring them to me.”
Moses was gone for 40 days. I’m sure they were pretty patient at first. “God’s got this. Moses will be back soon.” But day after day, that seed of doubt began to grow. “This is taking longer than I thought. What if…? Maybe….” I don’t consciously set up a golden calf, but just as surely, that fear, that anxiety, that worry as I wait is consuming much more of my time and attention than my Savior. Jesus, Help me!
Exodus 32:4a He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this honest look at what happens when You ask me to wait in joyful hope and to trust You. I definitely need to work on learning to wait in joyful hope instead of anxious fear. Thank You for helping me to see it. Now please help me to live it. Draw me closer. Amen.
Exodus 32:4b …Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you out of Egypt.”
Have a blessed day.

Exodus 31:13a …‘You must observe My Sabbaths’….
The week of Christmas I did absolutely nothing related to my job. Instead, I spent time with my family, I read books, and I did things that renewed my spirit. It was glorious. This past week, however, was the last week before exams. It feels like I spent the entire week grading (and grading and grading some more). It was exhausting—mentally, emotionally, spiritually, even physically. 
Exodus 31:13b …’This will be a sign between Me and you for the generations to come’….
God understands the need for a good work-life balance. He also understands that for us to be spiritually healthy, we must renew and recharge in Him. I feel like that’s one of the chief reasons for the Sabbath, to refocus on Him, to renew in Him, to reconnect with Him at the end (or the beginning) of our week. And that time with Him is vital for our wellbeing.
Exodus 31:13c …’so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy’…
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that I need to renew myself in You—hourly, daily, weekly. This world is too much for me. It overwhelms me and makes me doubt and fear. But You are my center, my peace. Your grace and Your strength are sufficient for anything this world can throw at me. Draw me closer, LORD. Amen.
Exodus 31:17 …’for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’
Have a blessed day.