God dwells

just finished slowly (and i do mean slowly) reading through the book of exodus. it's an exciting and incredibly detailed account of God bringing a people He calls His own out from bondage to the Egyptian empire. God hears the cry of His people. He remembers them. and He sends His man, moses, to make a case before pharaoh to let the children of Israel go...but pharaoh refuses.

so God Almighty literally takes on the greatest nation in the world to prove His sovereignty and might to the world...and especially to His own people. that they would know that He is God...and He is THEIR God.

so He leads them out into the wilderness on their way to the land He promised to provide for them...and while He's out there He establishes some ground rules about how this theocracy is going to work. moses is given the commandments and instructions to build the tabernacle...the place where God's glory will rest.

what an awesome thought. God wants to dwell with His people. He walked with adam in the garden. and now His people are living in tents...so He lives in a tent...

God dwells with His people.

which just gets me excited about this upcoming season where we remember the incarnation. that God dwelt with us in humanity. wow.

there's an appropriate Christmas reminder: God dwells.

my "pilgrim's perspective"

pastor terry's message yesterday resonated an ancient chord in my heart. one that has echoed through the hall of faith for a few thousand years. we are pilgrim's on a journey to heaven. look @ Hebrews 11:13-14. i love that idea. i used to scrawl these words in the edges of my Bible whenever i came across this idea in Scripture: "heaven-bound". it's a reality that can quickly fade into a simple notion, which can then quickly fade into a distant memory, which can then slip out of conscious altogether in our over-stimulated, immediate-driven world. but it's a truth my soul must rehearse regularly...or my sin-prone heart will fall in love with this fallen world all too easily:

i am a pilgrim.

on sundays, i have the privilege of hearing the sermon twice (usually), and it helps me as i process. so these are just a few thoughts i typed through second service in an attempt to make it personal and applicable to me:

"this world is not my home, i'm just a-passin' through..."
i have a citizenship that is not of this world, it's a heavenly citizenship! and i'm on my way to glory!

Q: am I living like a pilgrim? or am I living like a settler?

am I in love with this world? do I long for the things of this world? am I holding onto "my stuff" like it's really mine? am I stewarding what Jehovah-Jireh, my Adonai, has entrusted to me?

my blessings to steward:
• His Word
• salvation
• carissa
• jolie
• food
• house
• time
• money
• van
• friends
• ministry
• teaching Gifts
• preaching Gifts
• leadership Gifts
• education
• technology

travel light and prepare God's gifts for His return, that we can give them back to Him for His glory!