Category: SPIRITUAL GROWTH

MIRACLE AT MYSTIC

What strikes me as I listen to interviews is a simultaneous chorus of both heartbreak and faith.

You probably witnessed a miracle this past week. Possibly you did not even notice what you observed. It is horrifying to view the devastation from the flooding in Texas, especially at Mystic Camp for Girls. Did you notice that the commentators kept calling it “a Christian Camp”. Why did they keep repeating the moniker “Christian”? Christian is not in the name of the camp.

Loss of life is loss of life. The resulting heartbreak pulverizes the soul, regardless of one’s religious connections. The death of young girls is especially appalling. So why did the reporters feel the need to keep repeating “a Christian Girl’s Camp”?

SATAN’S FIELD DAY

I think they did so because Satan planned on a field day. He wants individuals to ask, “What if God cannot protect His own; little girls at a Christian camp? What if He is powerless and flawed?” Satan desires that the world make all kinds of false assumptions regarding God’s character.

SIMULTANEOUS CHORUS OF HEARTBREAK AND FAITH

What strikes me as I listen to interviews is a simultaneous chorus of both heartbreak and faith. Parents broken yet utterly relying on God and His character. People who still choose to trust God, regarding of whether their daughters are rescued or their bodies are recovered.

PRAY..ABOVE ALL, PLEASE PRAY

A recurrent question in the interviews is, “What can we do to help?” Overwhelmingly, the answer is “Pray; above all, please pray.” Prayers that will press shattered hearts toward God.

PRESSING INTO GOD

Pressing into God? Joni Erickson Tada has been quadriplegic for more than 2/3’s of her life due to a diving accident. During her first two years, post-accident, she experienced anger, depression, suicidal thoughts, and religious doubts. A friend visited her and made a difficult statement: “God put you in that chair Joni. I don’t know why, but if you’ll trust Him instead of fighting Him, you’ll find out why – if not in this life, then in the next. He let you break your neck because He loves you.” At the time, Joni thought those words sounded awfully harsh from her teenaged friend.

Years later, Joni wrote in the book When God Weeps: “Hardships press us against God. God always seems bigger to those who need Him most.”  

TRUSTING GOD FULLY

After an especially dark period of his life, the Apostle Paul wrote to the Church at Corinth: “We don’t want you in the dark, friends, about how hard it was when all this came down on us in Asia province. It was so bad we didn’t think we were going to make it. We felt like we’d been sent to death row, that it was all over for us. As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally—not a bad idea since he’s the God who raises the dead! (II Corinthians 1:8-11).

Apostle Paul thoughtfully wrote: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39). May I suggest a daily prayer: “Lord, I don’t know what you have in store for me today, but may it press me into You.”

BUILT FOR COMMUNITY

In his plea to end his life, Elijah made a fatal assumption by concluding that he alone was faithful. Elijah needed both purpose and community.

In I Kings 19 the prophet is exhausted, lonely, and cut off after what should have been a huge victory. The Israelites recently witnessed a massive showdown between their idol Baal and Jehovah God. God performs a throwdown with a massive lightening punch from heaven. It screams the truth of Who God is.

GOD LIGHTS UP THE SKY

Baal’s followers ran around yelling and cutting themselves. They thought all that self-mutilation would get Baal’s attention. After hours of no response from Baal, Elijah pours gallons and gallons on his sacrifice and utters a prayer. God lights up the sky. Elijah’s sacrifice burns perfectly to a crisp. It should have been game over. Elijah’s prayers bring an end to a 7-year drought. The Israelites should have fallen on their knees, promising to never return to idol worship.

HEARTBROKEN ELIJAH

But the Queen is not too pleased with Elijah’s honoring God (and the execution of her star prophets). She puts out a contract on Elijah’s life. Elijah runs for the hills. The cowardly Israelites don’t run alongside him. Elijah is heartbroken. He feels his age. All the signs and wonders do not break the stranglehold of sin on his people.

PRAYED THAT HE MIGHT DIE

I Kings 19:4, Elijah “prayed that he might die.” He declares, “I have had enough Lord. Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” What he had viewed as a huge win for God now looks like smoke and mirrors. He can’t see God’s hand.

ELIJAH’S BONE TO PICK

God sends an angel who to feeds Elijah. Elijah wakes up, is fed again and Elijah makes the trip to Mt. Horeb. Elijah has a bone to pick with God. He may have rested, but his mouth vents an extensive list of complaints.

GOD’S WHISPER

The Lord tells Elijah to stand by the mountain. A mighty windstorm breaks out, an earthquake shakes the ground, a firestorm scorches the earth. Yet, God is not there. A whisper comes. This is the voice of God. He gives Elijah purpose: three people to anoint. Furthermore, he lets Elijah know he is not alone. There are 7,000 other Israelites who have not retreated to idolatry. God gives Elijah community both in the 7,000 and also in the person of Elisha.

ELIJAH NEEDED COMMUNITY

All the time Elijah thought he was the lone wolf, the sole person sticking up for God, he was not alone. In his plea to end his life, Elijah made a fatal assumption by concluding that he alone was faithful. Elijah needed both purpose and community.

BUILT FOR COMMUNITY

God has built us for community. Arthur W. Lindsley observes, “If we do not make a commitment to a particular body of believers, we will never have in-depth community. This problem of idealism or perfectionism manifests itself often in people’s lives. I have seen a pattern in what happens. First, an individual or a couple joins a church thinking that the pastor, worship, fellowship, etc. is great. They give glowing recommendations to others. However, after a few years (or months) they begin to be dissatisfied with the sermons, the pastor and the church leadership, members of the congregation, the worship style, or some other fault. They leave and move to another church where the cycle starts again. They have found again the perfect church. But, no, after a time it is not perfect. So, they church hop for the rest of their lives or just give up.”

DON’T GIVE UP

Don’t give up and cut yourself off like Elijah. That never ends well. Ask God for a community of believers who follow the simple principles of the early church. Acts 2:42- 44: All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. Don’t assume you have to live like Elijah. You are built for community.

THE MESSY CHURCH

“Holy people”? Doesn’t sound like the elders, Mrs. K, Chris, Peter, Randy or Sally received that memo.

The cauldron boiled at the First Church of Chaos. Resentments filled the air the evening the elders engaged in a nasty exchange over who was the best pastor: Peter, Chris, or Arty. Then there was the string of lawsuits regarding Mrs. K’s son vandalizing the 2 Lexuses belonging to church elders and Peter’s backing into Chris’ Tesla. Who forgot the tale of 30-year-old Randy’s romantic entanglement with his 40-year-old stepmother? The icing on the cake was the communion service where Sally spiked the grape juice with vodka.

WHAT A MESS!

Shameful! Out of control behavior! If you read I Corinthians chapters 1, 5, 6, & 11, these behaviors are just a glimpse of the conduct of the Corinthian Church. With all that going on, how could the Apostle Paul address the Corinthians with their call to holiness? Paul writes, “I am writing to God’s church in Corinth to you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus,just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours” (I Cor. 1:2). “Holy people”? Doesn’t sound like the elders, Mrs. K, Chris, Peter, Randy or Sally received that memo.

WHAT DOES GOD DO WITH A HAYWIRE CONGREGATION?

The Apostle Paul continues, “He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (I Cor. 1:8-9). Can God be faithful to a congregation gone haywire?

THE TRUE CHURCH

What actually is the true church? Pastor Steve Hubbard observes: “It is not just a group of religious people gathered together to enjoy certain mutually desired functions. It is a group of people who share the same life, who belong to the same Lord, who are filled with the same Spirit, who are given gifts by that same Spirit, and who are intended to function together to change the world by the life of God.” Notice the word “same”; it’s a word representing unity.

IMPORTANCE OF UNITY

Over time, the Corinthians lost sight God’s instructions for unity. “Make it your aim to be at one in the Spirit, and you will inevitably be at peace with one another. You all belong to one body, of which there is one Spirit, just as you all experienced one calling to one hope. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God, one Father of us all, who is the one over all, the one working through all and the one living in all. (Ephesians 4:5-6).

SOMETHING ROTTEN

First Church of Chaos and the Corinthians suffered greatly. A local church can be much like Noah’s Ark. If not for the storm outside, you couldn’t stand the smell inside. Yet, the Apostle Paul remarks, “If one member suffers, all the parts share the suffering.”

GOD’S PROMISE

Yes, we live in a messy world. Most churches have members like Chris, Arty, Peter, Mrs. K., Randy and Sally. However, take heart. In church community, true believers have a promise. “God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” (Philippians 1:6).

WHAT TO FOCUS ON

What amazing experiences are waiting for us once we hold tightly to the supernatural peace of Christ.

A recent diagnosis of Lyme Disease put me in a quickly descending tailspin of toxic thoughts.  Will there be long term side effects or permanent damage?  Will I recover 100%?  Is this going to impede the upcoming vacations that I’m eagerly waiting for?  What if, what if, what if….

HOLDING TIGHTLY TO THE NASTY

I find myself holding onto something, either positive or negative thoughts, but not at the same time.  And if you are like me that slippery slope into negativity can happen quickly. Have you ever noticed that our spiritual hands are never empty?  Holding on tightly to the nasty stuff like bitterness, offenses, anger, unforgiveness, fear, etc. can quickly become a huge burden.

SORT OUT THE JUNK

So, what’s the fix? Becoming doers of God’s word. In 2 Corinthians 10:5, Paul states, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”  This simple solution is harder to execute.  Fortunately, the Bible also tells us that Jesus will never leave us or forsake us.  Jesus offers to help us sort out the junk.

A beloved Bible story brings this principle to life.  Matthew 14:22-33 tells of Jesus calling Peter out into the water.  The familiar story begins with Jesus walking on the water toward the disciples in their boat.  The disciples are terrified, until hearing their master’s voice; “Take Courage! It is I.  Don’t be afraid.”  His comforting words calm their fears. 

PETER LETS GO

But, for Peter, the master’s words embolden him to try something new.  “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.”  Jesus calls him, and for a moment Peter lets go of all the trepidations that his natural mind screams at him and embraces the supernatural by focusing on the peace that only Jesus can provide

Though the experience is short-lived, Peter miraculously walks on water!  While he remained focused on Jesus, he was free to defy nature with a miraculous new experience.   But, as soon as fear crept in, he began to sink until he cried out to the Savior of the World; “Lord, save me!” Immediately, Jesus catches him.

So, we have the contrast of the positive versus the negative. When Peter focuses on Christ, he is free to walk on the water. When the negative thoughts enter his mind, he sinks faster than a bag of lead.  If Peter had released the negative thoughts, how much further could he have walked on top of the water? 

THE CHOICE

What about us; are we willing to release fear and negativity when Jesus calls?  Probably you do not have the diagnosis of Lyme disease, but you have other challenges in your life. Let go of the nasty stuff like bitterness, offenses, anger, unforgiveness, fear, etc. What amazing experiences are waiting for us once we release the negativity and hold tightly to the supernatural peace of Christ. Hold on to the Light.

WHERE HEAVEN MEETS EARTH

Allow Him to enter your tent; this is where heaven meets earth.

One summer my father-in-law enlisted the help of young men to help him put together new patio furniture. Lots and lots of pieces and hardware was laid out in the work area. Off to the one side was the unopened instruction booklet. It was a hot day, and frustration tempered the air as the three tried to rush through the project.

FOLLOW THE PLANS

After about 1 ½ hours of futility did they pause long enough to listen as one of us women asked, “Have you read the instructions?” Amazing how beautifully and efficiently the project went after they followed the directions. The basic rule in construction is always to follow the plans.

MORE THAN JUST A TENT

In Exodus 40, God knows that we humans don’t necessarily like to observe His directions. That’s why He leaves nothing out when He twice gives Moses very detailed procedures on how to construct the Tabernacle and all of its furnishings. Rev. Kory Plockmeyer notes, “Moses follows the careful divine instructions because the tabernacle is more than just a tent, it is the very place where heaven meets earth.”

THE MISSING GLORY

“The place where heaven meets earth.” There is something especially unique and wonderful about the inner part of the Tabernacle which housed the Holy of Holies. The Glory of the Lord dwelt there. This room existed in both the original Tabernacle and then the magnificent temple built by Solomon. Years after Solomon’s temple was destroyed, Jewish people are allowed to return to build a new temple. Ezra records his people weeping. Why such a response? Not only because this temple will not approach the grandeur of Solomon’s temple, but also because they recognize that the glory of the Lord, the Shekinah Glory, will not be present in this temple the same way it was before. (Ezra 3:12-13).

PLACE OF LONGING

The grief of longing. “As the place where the Glory of God dwelled, the tabernacle/temple was the place where heaven met earth, the place where the people of Israel went to meet God, the place where they encountered the glory of God. Yet it was also a place of longing – of longing for the return of the cloud, for the return of the spirit to the temple.” (Rev. Kory Plockmeyer)

TEMPLES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

As believers, God has designated that we now are God’s temple. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? (1 Corinthians 6:19). David Platt observes: “By the grace of God, through Jesus’ death on the cross, resurrection from the grave, ascension on high, ascending of the Holy Spirit, His presence now dwells inside you and me, inside each person who’s put our trust in Jesus. You don’t have to look to a tent, the Holy Spirit dwells in you, which means the Holy Spirit is in you, leading, guiding and directing your thoughts, your desires and your decisions.”

HIS DWELLING WITHIN YOU

So, the question that begs an answer is, “Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to dwell within you? Or are you out in the hot sun, toiling away, getting nowhere because you have discarded God’s instruction book, the Bible?” God has built into true believers a longing to have a life which reflects His indwelling. Seriously begin to thoughtfully read the Scriptures, ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand His promptings, and obey Him earnestly, quickly, and thoroughly. God is a wonderful designer. Allow Him to enter your tent; this is where heaven meets earth.

THE JESUS SWAGGER

If Jesus was on staff at a local church today, He would probably be fired and escorted out the door.

He was 6’4” with a long, lanky body. In his early films of the 1930s, he looks very stiff and a bit awkward. Slowly but surely, he learned to move in a very slow, deliberate way. The gait of John Wayne, the actor, “was slightly tipsy, slightly off-balance looking, rough, tough, and rugged”. He chose his walk, his trademark swagger.

HOW DID JESUS WALK?

Jesus’ walk is also unique. “Whoever says he lives in Christ [that is, whoever says he has accepted Him as God and Savior] ought [as a moral obligation] to walk and conduct himself just as He walked and conducted Himself (I John 2:6). How did Jesus walk? Read the Gospels. You quickly discover Jesus breaks the social rules. The disciples never know what to expect. Jesus’ daily time with the Heavenly Father leads Him into uncharted territories, especially for those who consider themselves religious.

NOT PLAYING BY THE RULES

They visit a scandalous woman belonging to “those people”; a group which good Jewish people do not associate with. The 12 never know if the next town will bring cheers or jeers. There is the occasion when Jesus could have healed Lazarus, but God tells Jesus to pause.  Lazarus dies.  What good friend lets another die? Sisters Mary and Martha are none too pleased when Jesus shows up late too late to save. Jesus doesn’t play by the rules of the Pharisees or the Sadducees. When the rule keepers condemn to death a woman caught in adultery, Jesus kneels and scribbles in the dust. They expect Him to launch the first stone.  Instead, He forgives her. Jesus often either thrills or disappoints. He is either lauded or vilified. Jesus doesn’t even use hand sanitizer when He touches the lepers.

UNPLANNED AND DISRUPTIVE

Jesus’ days seem unplanned. He twice spends hours speaking to thousands of people and after the fact (seemingly, off the cuff) asks his disciples to supply lunch. He is disruptive and uncooperative with local commerce and causes a big scene at the Temple. When a disciple betrays him, Jesus welcomes him back with open arms and appoints him the leader of the group. If Jesus was on staff at a local church today, He would probably be fired and escorted out the door. Jesus is not the good employee of mankind because He only follows one Boss, His Heavenly Father.  He came to do His Father’s will. That was and is His pattern every day of His life.

YOUR WALK

Maybe you are a little stiff and a bit awkward with this whole concept of walking as Jesus walked. Do you let go of your schedule and with open hands accept Jesus’ priorities, uncomfortable situations, and the upheaval which He can bring to your life?  Have you learned to trust Him regardless of the situation?

LEARN THE SWAGGER

Yes, your Jesus walk might at times appear slightly off-balance, rough, and not blend in with everyone else. But whoever says he lives in Christ [that is, whoever says he has accepted Him as God and Savior] ought [as a moral obligation] to walk and conduct himself just as He walked and conducted Himself. (I John 2:6).  It’s the only walk that glorifies Christ. Learn the Jesus swagger.

Click to hear the story of Lee Strobel.

LEANING HARD

Just when I thought everything was planned….

I’m traveling through an uncomfortable season. After a significant fall a few months ago, my back is a mess. Turns out my old bones are not happy when they slam backward against a cement block wall. What I thought originally would just be a massive nasty bruise has turned into a very angry spinal column. Restorative sleep is fleeting. The pain marches to its own drummer. Some days are not too bad. Others are agony.

A DIFFERENT SUMMER

Months ago I began planning what I would do this summer. God has nixed most of it. The other day as I sat on my back porch (usually my happy place), I realized that this summer will be different than what I envisioned. I sat there arguing with God (yes, I do argue with God).

THE HARDER WE LEARN, THE STRONGER WE GROW

Then I read this quote from J.I. Packer: “God uses chronic pain and weakness, along with other afflictions, as his chisel for sculpting our lives. Felt weakness deepens dependence on Christ for strength each day. The weaker we feel, the harder we lean. And the harder we lean, the stronger we grow spiritually, even while our bodies waste away. To live with your ‘thorn’ uncomplainingly—that is, sweet, patient, and free in heart to love and help others, even though every day you feel weak—is true sanctification. It is true healing for the spirit. It is a supreme victory of grace.”

REACH FORWARD

What does God say about leaning? “Not that I have already obtained it [this goal of being Christlike] or have already been made perfect, but I actively press on so that I may take hold of that [perfection] for which Christ Jesus took hold of me and made me His own. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have made it my own yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the [heavenly] prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12-14)

God, You definitely have my attention. I’m leaning forward and leaning hard.

Click for more on “letting go”

MORE THAN A SNACK

How is your relationship with God growing?

After spending 40 days with God on the top of Mt. Sinai, didn’t Moses already know God? On the mount, Moses didn’t spend time reading theological books, listening to great sermons, or Googling “God.” He was WITH God all that time, yet he came out of it wanting to know God better.

RELATIONSHIP with God

In Exodus 33:12-23, depending upon your translation, forms of the word “know” are used six times in this passage. One would think that Moses at this point knew God well enough that he could just get to the business of herding the Israelites to the Promised Land. God knew Israel and Moses, however, now Moses wants to know God better. Moses wants relationship with God.

MOSES GALLOPS AFTER GOD

In our house we have a cupboard which has snacks. Often, I open the cupboard door, see what’s available, and then either grab something or continue on. Moses is not casually looking through the cupboard for a snack of God. Moses is banging away at the cupboard door and yelling he is not going to leave it until he is fully satisfied. God is a “rewarder of them that diligently seek HIM” (Hebrews 11:6). Moses doesn’t want to be casual Facebook friends with God; he wants a deep and true relationship with Him. Before this, God had sought Moses, but now Moses gallops after God. He knows the only hope for himself, and his people is in his relationship with God.

DESIRE FOR GOD HIMSELF

“We may have been Christians for many years, but have we ever really longed for some personal, direct knowledge and experience of God? Oh, I know, we pray for causes, we pray for the Church, we pray for missionaries, we pray for our own efforts that we organize, yes, but that is not what I am concerned about. We all ask for personal blessings, but how much do we know of this desire for God himself? That is what Moses asked for: ‘Show me thy glory. Take me yet a step nearer.’” (Martin Lloyd-Jones)

GOD’S ESSENCE

And what part of Himself does God choose in taking Moses a step nearer? God’s essence.

God says, I will make all My goodness pass before you. Moses asks to see the glory of God, and God promises to show Moses His goodness. “God’s glory lies in His goodness. When Moses saw the glory of God, His first understanding was that God was good. If we don’t know that God is good, we don’t know much about Him at all” (David Guzik).

HIS GOODNESS

At the core of all these attributes is one common denominator, God’s goodness. Moses asked: Now therefore, I pray you, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways so that I may know You [becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with You, recognizing and understanding Your ways more clearly] and that I may find grace and favor in Your sight. What does God consider essential? For Moses to know the goodness of God.

RELATIONSHIP FOR THE LONG HAUL

This will help carry Moses through 40 years of wandering through the wilderness with a majority of a generation who don’t want to know God or His goodness. This relationship with God is what will carry Moses for the long haul.

RELATIONSHIP GROWING 101

So, the question is, “How is your relationship with God growing?” Ask yourself these questions (taken from “Discipleship Handbook” by Bill Stoner):

  1. Have your family or friends noticed a difference in you and how you act toward others?
  2. Do you spend more time reading the Bible than you have in the recent past?
  3. Are you adding more to discussions when they cross to the spiritual realm?
  4. Has your awareness of the lost around you compelled you to be more of a disciple than when you first came to know Christ?
  5. Do you feel you spend enough time in prayer each day?

 God is the “Rewarder of them that diligently seek HIM.”

GOD’S SHARP TROWEL

The Holy Spirit wants to break up the hardened places in my life.

Oh, glorious summer! My joy is found on my back deck. The pots of flowers are in full bloom. I sit on my chair, hear the birds in the fir trees, and drink in the beauty. It is glorious! That was not the case a couple of months ago. A lot of preparation is necessary to grow my garden. My trowel dug deep, preparing for the summer’s growth. Planting is messy.

GOD’S DIGGING CAN BE PAINFUL

God digs around a lot in my own life. My soul needs intentional preparation, just like a physical garden, in order to produce glorious blooms. Sometimes God’s digging is painful.  Hosea 10:12 reads, …break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you. There are many weeds entrenched in my heart.

THE HARDENED PLACES IN MY HEART

The Holy Spirit wants to break up the hardened places in my life. The places in the back room of my soul where I grow those sins that fester: anger, bitterness, envy, jealousy, etc. They are weeds which need to be mortified. The Holy Spirit’s shovel is necessary to break the roots that strangle my joy.  

A HARVEST OF BEAUTIFUL LIFE

God wants to reap in beautiful harvest. His gardening instructions are clear. Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God! —harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.  (Galatians 6:7-8).

Are you ready for God’s glorious blooms to grow in your life? Ask Him to uproot the weeds and prepare the soil for His harvest. It will be glorious!

Click for more information on how to grow heavenly fruit.

COME TO THE TENT

Wouldn’t it be wonderful for you to have a tent of meeting on your worst days where you can meet with God?

Ever had a really bad day? Poor Moses! In Exodus 32, Moses throws a fit. Coming down from Mount Sinai, Moses flounders. His past 40 days have been spent on the top of a mountain with God. That great spiritual high quickly plummets when Moses sees what his people have been up to.

HOLINESS DASHES TO THE GROUND

Furious Moses slams down the sacred stone tablets (handwritten by God). The fragments scatter at the foot of the mountain. He sees the Israelites consumed in an orgy, celebrating the worship of a self-made golden calf.

A WHOPPER OF AN EXCUSE

While up on the mountain, Moses had left brother Aaron in charge. Excuses run out of Aaron’s mouth. Rather than an immediate repentance of heart, Aaron makes up a whopper of excuse to his brother: Don’t get so upset, my lord,” Aaron replied. “You yourself know how evil these people are. They said to me, ‘Make us gods who will lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.’ So, I told them, ‘Whoever has gold jewelry, take it off.’ When they brought it to me, I simply threw it into the fire—and out came this calf! (Exodus 32:22-24). (Remember, I did say it was a whopper of an excuse.)

“Just say no” may have been a good life slogan for Aaron. He is caught with his pants down. The Apostle Paul hit the mark when he wrote: There is no one righteous, not even one (Romans 3:10).

WHERE IS GOD?

Moses desperately needs to see God amid this mess. In Exodus 33:1-23, God gives him the opportunity to set up a “tent of meeting.” This is where God meets with Moses face to face. Wouldn’t it be wonderful for you to have a tent of meeting on your worst days where you can meet with God? A place to talk to Him about the upcoming operation and how scared you are? How about a place to discuss your kids who don’t seem to have an interest in the things of God? Or a safe place to ask those questions when life makes no sense?

GOD’S INVITATION

Oh. Wait. As believers, we already have an eternal tent where He longs for us to communicate daily with Him. For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in his dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His sacred tent and set me high upon a rock (Psalm 27:5). You don’t have to go to Cabela’s to find God’s tent.

Meet God at the tent of His presence. It is a wonderful place to find His peace. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Meet God at His tent.