September 9, 2023

God called Moses up to the mountain again and told him to bring two stone tablets so he could write the Ten Commandments again. He was there for forty days and forty nights receiving the law and didn’t eat or drink; God sustained him. When he came down, his face glowed, and the people were afraid, so he had to cover it with a veil. The children finally came close, and Moses read them the law God had given him with his face veiled; the glory of the Lord on his face was covered. 

And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face. Exodus 34:33

Now, we receive the law spiritually with unveiled faces; Jesus tore the veil and redeemed the law. Jesus covers all of our transgressions, past and future sins. When we venture into an area forbidden by God, the Holy Spirit impresses it upon our hearts, and we feel the need for repentance if we don’t heed the warning. When you read the Old Testament and the laws, it makes you grateful for Jesus. 

And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 2 Corinthians 3:3

But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.2 Corinthians 3:16-17

September 8, 2023

So this morning, I'm meeting with God just as I do every morning, and a notification came up on my iPad that something had set off one of our cameras. I looked, and some furry something ran across the screen. Perplexed at what it could be, I ran out to see what it was. The furry thing was one of my neighbor's dogs, but there were two more. I captured the little one, finally caught the other two, and then took them home. It's nearly eight o'clock, and I need to finish my devotional. 

Imagine being in the glory of the Lord and having to leave it to rebuke your people for their sin of worshipping the golden calf. I'm sure it was a letdown for Moses. Spending time with God makes you desire more of Him. He had been away from the people meeting with God for forty days. Moses craved God's presence and asked to see his glory. Because God loved Moses so much, he gave in to his request. Can you imagine that? We have yet to learn how that feels. Yes, I feel his presence when I meet with him, but Moses was face to face with the Almighty and wanted to see his glory again. 

After I ran out to get those little dogs and take them home, I realized that God was giving me a lesson in leaving his presence to take care of earthly business. Sometimes, we must leave Him for a physical calling, but when we seek Him, he will show us his glory again. 

And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. Exodus 33:18

And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen. Exodus 33:20-23

September 7, 2023

Did the things that the Israelites see God do to get them out of Egypt, the fire and cloud that went before them, and the daily manna seem normal to them that they should forget so quickly what he had done? Are we like them? They lost their patience in waiting for Moses to come down from the mountains. It seems they wanted to party. Why did they need an idol for their party? Did you know they danced around naked? Why did Aaron participate by making the golden calf? These people got to see things we’ve never seen, yet they forgot how good God had been to them. God rushed Moses off the mountain to go and handle the situation. When he returned, he broke the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments God had written with his finger. Moses ground the calf into dust, poured it in the water, and made them drink it. Then, the Levites killed three thousand men, and God plagued the others who participated. God doesn’t play any games!

Why do we tempt God like this? Haven’t we seen him answer our prayers? I believe the Holy Spirit helps us hold on to our beliefs, reminding us of all he has done; otherwise, we would fall into the same trap as Israel. 

Wait for God to work out the details of your prayer request. Things are happening in the background that you know nothing about, and God has to clear the path before you—no dancing around naked while waiting. 

And the LORD plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made. Exodus 32:35

September 6, 2023

Some of us know how to do things even though we've never been taught. I'm one of those people. I can craft, sew, paint, decorate, and so on. I know how to follow directions; I'll take a class if I need help and want to improve. God gave Moses the names of two people who were in charge of creating everything for the Tabernacle. I found it interesting that he said he filled one of them with his spirit. 

See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, Exodus 31:2-3

Isn't that interesting? The same spirit that resides in us was given to Bezaleel to complete God's Tabernacle, which was much more of a task than I could ever handle. However, if you hand my husband a set of plans, he can create a building to perfection. Bezaleel and his partner Aholiab had to follow Moses's instructions and hear the voice of God to make them to his specifications. We can see by this that the Holy Spirit can not only help us hold onto our belief in Jesus but can also be used to complete physical tasks for God's kingdom. Never think too highly of yourself when you are doing anything for God. Every ability you have was given to you by him, and you couldn't finish his work without the help of the Holy Spirit. Remember to be thankful for your abilities. 

September 5, 2023

Like many of you, I love essential oils, aromatic plants, and sweet smells. According to scripture, it is apparent that God loves those smells too. As I read Exodus 30, I began looking up each aroma He required as incense in the Tabernacle. I started thinking I could grow those plants and make the same scent God wanted for the Tabernacle incense. Wouldn’t that be amazing? But then I kept reading, and it came with a warning not to create anything like it, or you would be cut off from your people, which means you would die! Even if I found those same plants, I probably couldn’t get the formula exactly right, but who wants to take that chance? The scripture says, 

“Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people.” Exodus 30:33

That’s a strong warning, and even though Jesus redeemed the law, who wants to take a chance making God angry over luxurious smells? Certainly not me. 

I believe the incense was to cover the scent of all the blood and burnt offerings so the area was pleasant. Some of these plants God wanted used have medicinal properties and could be useful for healing. God doesn’t do things haphazardly; there is always a plan and a purpose, which includes plants for healing. Natural remedies may come in handy when certain industries are taken down for poisoning people. We need to learn as much as possible so we are not caught off guard. 

September 4, 2023

In preparation for the hurricane season, I decided to empty our freezers of all the meat. Suppose our electricity is cut off for a while. In that case, we don't want the food to go to waste or have to run an extension cord to the generator for more than one refrigeration unit, so I decided to can all of it so it's shelf stable. Also, with our government's and the economy's instability, you never know when a food stash might come in handy. Now, we have heat and eat food in the pantry. I never knew how valuable learning canning could be. 

One thing I learned was that cleanliness is vital. After thawing the meat and preparing it, there were drippings in the wrappers, on towels, and on countertops. Even though I rinsed everything before putting it in the trash and the washing machine, after sitting a day, they spoiled and stunk. 

Imagine what it must have been like to make the daily sacrifices to God and the slaughtering of the bulls and rams on the altar. They burned it right away, but to sanctify Aaron and his son, a lot of blood splattering and anointing with oil was required by God. It seems so messy! All this was necessary so the people didn't take their sins lightly. When Jesus shed his blood for us, it was messy, and his blood poured out upon the ground beneath the cross as an offering for our sins. Don't take for granted what he did for us to set us free and replace the priests and the daily sacrificial rituals. After reading this portion of scripture, I'm more than grateful for what he did for us; it made my head spin just thinking about it! 

And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle itupon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him. Exodus 29:21

September 3, 2023

The details provided for the priestly garments that Aaron and his sons were to wear when ministering to God show us the perfection he requires. Every detail of its elaborate design is included in the scriptures. They could not go before God in everyday clothes; he expected more from them. These garments were those of royalty, studded with precious stones in settings of gold and engraved with the names of the sons of Israel. 

No one can go before God in old clothes; he expects perfection! We are not perfect; however, we have a Priest who ministers before the Holy of Holies on our behalf, much like Aaron did for the Israelites. However, our Priest is pure from the inside out without flaw or blemish. Jesus is our perfection, and God sees us as holy because of him. 

And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office. Exodus 28:4