Am I shining my light?

Exodus 27: ²⁰ “Command the people of Israel to bring you clear oil that is made from pressed olives. Use it to keep the lamps burning and giving light.

²¹ “Aaron and his sons must keep the lamps burning in the Tent of Meeting. The lamps will be outside the curtain that is in front of the tablets of the covenant. The lamps must be kept burning in my sight from evening until morning. That is a law for the people of Israel that will last for all time to come.

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“What’s the purpose of serving” I said to myself in a moment of tantrum. I mean GOD doesn’t seem to listen to me anyway. Why do I have to do all this stuff? Maybe I’ll stop serving and then I will get my way.

This came after being rejected for a job that I really wanted. It was going to be my way to move back to the city where I grew up. People saw me pouting and avoided me.

• When I am down because I am not getting what I want I hide my light.
• When I am angry because of what someone else is doing I hide my light.
• When I am judgmental and excluding towards others I hide my light.

Every law is important to GOD. HE made the priests shine light for all the people to see and wants me to do the same. JESUS said “do not hide your light under a bushel” meaning not letting my lust, anger, selfishness or fear get in the way of showing others how GOD loves me. The more I pout, the more I tell people GOD doesn’t care.

• GOD cares about me so I should tell others.
• GOD loves me so I should show this with excitement.
• GOD forgives me so I should forgive others.

There are many ways to show my light. In the face of adversity I can smile. When someone is in need of a drink I can provide a meal too. If I’m facing trouble instead of being pitiful I can serve others with joy. GOD’s light and words will not come back void. In other words the smallest thing I do or say grows HIS kingdom and that’s reward enough!

• Are you pouting right now?
• Are you hiding your light because you are not getting your way?
• Can you share your faith with others by focusing on what is right?
• Won’t you help someone grow today?

Feeling Forgiven

Exodus 26: ³³ Hang the curtain from the hooks.

“Place the ark of the covenant behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Room from the Most Holy Room.³⁴ Put the cover on the ark of the covenant in the Most Holy Room. The cover will be the place where sin is paid for.

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As I told one lie it seemed only fitting to tell another.  How in the world could my parents tell that I was lying? I mean the first response of “I don’t know” should have been sufficient. Why were they asking me so many questions? Can’t this incident just be done?

• Many times I want forgiveness without admitting I did something wrong.
• Many times I want forgiveness without understanding consequence.
• Many times I want forgiveness without having to face the fact that I am flawed.

The initial covenant between mankind and GOD included a lot of conditions, like a special ceremony for confession of sin. GOD designed a special place that humans were supposed to enter with extreme caution and reverence.  Confession of sin was the main focus and it had to be done the right way, with the shedding of blood from a sacrifice. Do I need to do this?

• GOD did away with the sacrifices to HIM because HE sacrificed HIMSELF for me.
• GOD no longer needs the blood of an animal because HE used HIS own blood to pay for my sins.
• GOD does not need me to carry around stone tablets because HE placed HIS law in my heart.

One of my major battles is “feeling forgiven” rather than “:knowing I am forgiven.” Yes I know CHRIST died for me but sometimes I don’t “feel” it. GOD says “I will be with you always” and that lets me know I am forgiven. The laws in my heart battle with the ways of the world.

The battle wants me to doubt GOD’s everlasting love so I mistakenly seek “feeling” forgiveness with my own made up blinded criteria. GOD says to me “you are forgiven” and that’s all I need!

• Are you down on yourself?
• Are you feeling neglected rather than victorious?
• Can you stop believing the lie and start believing that GOD does care for you?
• Won’t you help others believe GOD cares for them?

Do I really have to give?

Exodus 25: The Lord said to Moses, ² “Tell the people of Israel to bring me an offering. You must receive the offering for me from all whose hearts move them to give.

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“Snorkeling would be a great activity” I thought to myself as I planned our vacation. Let’s see… we’ll stay in one of the top hotels, spend days at a famous amusement park in Florida and really enjoy ourselves. Wait, that’s not enough. I know, I’ll throw in a cruise! Why not, I mean I worked hard so I needed a vacation!

• Vacations are nice but I wonder if I should give before I go.
• Buying nice things is okay but I wonder if I should give before I buy.
• Investing is nice but I wonder if I should give before I invest.

Somehow I think my money is mine. I dream of nice things for me and never once think about those who are hurting or without cash.  I work so hard to acquire my cash so I think I deserve new gadgets, clothes, cars and stuff. Throw in a lavish vacation here and there and I’m okay. BUT GOD has other plans for my cash.

• GOD wants me to take a portion of my wealth and give it to others.
• GOD wants my heart to be conditioned to give not just receive.
• GOD wants me to open my eyes and look for those in need rather than worrying about my cash.

GOD owns everything so HE isn’t looking for more stuff.  HE is looking to see if I can let go of things I consider precious and trust HIM to take care of me. Giving isn’t a cash matter it’s a heart matter. HE isn’t looking for me to be wealth with cash rather be wealthy with my heart.

• Are you looking to receive and are pouting about it?
• Can you give and not look to receive?
• Are you giving out of obligation when GOD wants you to give out of desire?
• Can you stop trying so hard to please GOD and start loving others knowing this pleases GOD?

Would seeing GOD make a difference?

Exodus 24: ⁹ Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up ¹⁰ and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as bright blue as the sky. ¹¹ But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank.

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Mustard yellow, rust, distinct figures hanging from the mirror and a vanity license plate individualized my car. People would often say, “I saw your car” but the reference would be at places and times I probably should have been studying or in bed. I wonder if GOD were standing visibly in front of those places would I enter.

• GOD wants me to have character and perform just like HE is standing right in front of me.
• GOD wants me to focus on HIS plan when no one is watching me.
• GOD wants me to treat HIM as GOD not as a distant possibility.

The elders of Israel weren’t supposed to go see GOD but they did anyway out of curiosity or disbelief is my guess. They actually saw who Moses spoke to and knew he wasn’t making all of this up to control them. In spite of “seeing” GOD and witnessing HIS miracles they could not stop sinning.

• It’s up to me to choose GOD instead of being on the wrong path.
• It’s up to me to desire GOD’s way instead of thinking my way is a good way.
• It’s up to me to focus my energy towards GOD’s people rather than catering to those who do not love HIM.

GOD wants me to love HIM and that means understanding HIS compassion for “everyone” not just my exclusive mind. HE desires that I act with character to draw people to HIM.

• Are you acting with character?
• Are your thoughts filled with judgment or compassion?
• Can you focus on what GOD wants you to do instead of wanting to see HIM as some sort of parlor trick or magician?

Where is the crowd when I need them?

Exodus 23: ² “Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd, ³ and do not show favoritism to a poor person in a lawsuit.

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Smiles and laughter reigned this evening. I reserved the multipurpose room in the dorm for our small gathering and somehow word got out that we were having a party. People from all over the campus showed up. It felt cool being the person who people were asking for until a fight broke out.

Everyone was asked to leave and the dorm director asked “who reserved this room?” Everyone scattered and I had to face this with only a few brave souls but the crowd thinned quickly.

• The crowd is quick to do wrong as long as they can get away with it.
• The crowd wants to be as wild as it can be without responsibility.
• The crowd doesn’t want justice rather it wants what it wants when it wants it.

Many times I have regretted following the crowd. The argument “everybody is doing it” is only an excuse to let my guards down and do what I want to do. What’s bad about this is the crowd will let me take the fall alone while it goes off and does something else wild.

• GOD wants me to stand firm for what HE says even when it’s not popular.
• GOD wants me to follow HIM when everyone around me is doing otherwise.
• GOD wants me to be different even when the crowd says follow us.

I have to examine every crowd I’m in, even church. Yes I said church. Sometimes this crowd can be the most dangerous. The religious falsely accused JESUS, murdered HIM and assumed the highest positions to rule over people and to be admired. This crowd was eternally wrong. GOD wants me to show discernment between judgment and compassion.

• Are you following the wrong crowd?
• Are you doing things because everyone is doing them?
• Can you use discernment to determine if the crowd is going in the direction GOD wants you to go?

Be compassionate with cash

Exodus 22: ²⁵ “If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not treat it like a business deal; charge no interest. ²⁶ If you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, return it by sunset, ²⁷ because that cloak is the only covering your neighbor has. What else can they sleep in? When they cry out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.

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It seemed like there was an extra dose of homeless this particular day.  I thought about it and was convinced that maybe I should tell a person about CHRIST instead of giving them cash. I stepped up on my pedestal and began talking down to this lowly thing of a person. “Uh huh, yeah, um hmm” were the patronizing replies to my rants.

“There” I thought to myself. I had pushed on him the greatest gift he could ever accept. I’m sure both of us were rewarded that day and I didn’t have to give him money!

• The love of money causes me to treat people like business transactions.
• The love of money strikes fear in me that I will lose it or have it stolen.
• The love of money makes me decide to keep it rather than give it away.

Money matters make me miserly. In other words the more money I get the more I try to protect the wealth and I lose my compassion for people. I dream of reasons they are poor or homeless and chalk it up to some bad choice, or a mental disease or an addiction rationalizing why this person doesn’t need my cash. BUT GOD has compassion.

• GOD has given plenty to me so I may give to others.
• GOD wants me to get over my fear of losing stuff and be compassionate to HIS people.
• GOD desires me to see needy people instead of “hiding” from them in order to keep my stuff.

I keep imagining standing in front of GOD, having HIM display my gadgets, trinkets and bobbles, then showing me all the people I passed by who could have used a meal that day. Yes, GOD wants me to spread the gift of salvation but if love and compassion are not with the message I’m wasting my time.

• Is there someone you need to show compassion to?
• Is fear holding you back from giving to that person?
• Can you show compassion to someone today?
• Won’t you ask GOD who you are supposed to help and “how” HE wants you to help them?

Revenge or grace

Exodus: ²² “If people are fighting and hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows. ²³ But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, ²⁴ eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, ²⁵ burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.

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Exhausted from track practice I slumped toward my locker. A football player walking on the opposite direction decided to hit my scrawny frame in the chest. I literally saw glowing things so I know what people mean when they say they saw stars!

This amongst other bullying activities made me life weights. No one was going to push me around anymore!

• When I get mad I want revenge!
• When someone does me harm I want to harm them.
• When I am the target of hatred I want to give them a taste of their own medicine.

After lifting weights and putting on a few muscles I noticed people picking fights rather than letting me have peace. “Should I learn to fight” crossed my mind. BUT GOD wanted me to behave different.

• GOD wants me to turn rage into Grace for that’s what HE shows me daily.
• GOD wants me to forgive rather than show revenge for the sole purpose of drawing people to HIM.
• GOD wants me to bring peace rather than picking fights to demonstrate the same love HE showed me.

GOD created the “revenge laws” AND HE demonstrated the payment for the law by dying for my sins. HE paid the price for all revenge and wants me to show love instead of hatred.

• Did someone treat you wrong?
• Are you ready to fight them?
• Can you stop thinking about the wrong they have done and think about the grace GOD wants you to show?