Tag: Morning Musings

Morning Musing: Exodus 25:8-9

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“They are to make a sanctuary for me so that I may dwell among them. You must make it according to all that I show you – the pattern of the Tabernacle as well as the pattern of all its furnishings.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

What is God’s plan for His world? That’s an awfully big question for which there are more answers than we could hope to address in a single blog post. But when we begin to take stock of some big patterns we find in the Scriptures, we find ourselves able to say some things with a little more clarity and confidence than others. What we see here as God prepares to start giving Israel instructions for constructing a place for them to worship gives us a clue as to what at least one of God’s big goals is. Let’s explore what’s going on here together.

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Morning Musing: Exodus 25:1-7

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“The Lord spoke to Moses: ‘Tell the Israelites to take an offering for me. You are to take my offering from everyone who is willing to give. This is the offering you are to receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze; blue, purple, and scarlet yarn; fine linen and goat hair; ram skins dyed red and fine leather; acacia wood; oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; and onyx along with other gemstones for mounting on the ephod and breastpiece.'” (CSB – Read the chapter)

There’s a difference between supporting a cause generally, and supporting a cause when you’ve got some skin in the game. The same thing goes with building a relationship. If you don’t actually invest something of yourself into a relationship, it’s not ever going to be very significant to you. It’ll never really move beyond being much more than a convenience. God was inviting the people of Israel into a relationship with Him. Because He didn’t want them to take this relationship with less than the seriousness with which it was due, He asked them to put some skin in the game. As we get into a whole new section of our journey, let’s talk about what’s going on here as well as what we will encounter over the next few weeks.

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Morning Musing: Honoring A Great Lady

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“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35 – CSB – Read the chapter)

Followers of Jesus have used all kinds of means to identify themselves over the centuries. Symbols, titles, national identities, and so on and so forth. We do this because we want to know who’s saved and who’s not. Now, too often we’ve gotten off track from Jesus’ teachings and used this knowledge for a variety of nefarious purposes, but we’ve also been more noble in our aims. For all the ways we identify ourselves, though, Jesus gave us a marker, a way to tell who are His followers and who aren’t. It’s very simple, He said, just love like He does. I got to participate in bidding a final-for-now farewell to a great lady yesterday. Let me tell you about Peggy and being someone who loves one another.

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Morning Musing: Exodus 24:9-11

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“Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of israel’s elders, and they saw the God of Israel. Beneath his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as clear as the sky itself. God did not harm the Israelite nobles; they saw him, and they ate and drank.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Starting out something new with God feels good. It’s exciting. We pour ourselves into it and into Him. Everything is going just as it’s supposed to go. Now, this doesn’t mean everything is going to stay that way. But getting off on the right foot is better than getting off on the wrong one. This next passage is unexpected and, honestly, kind of weird. But it’s pretty important. Let’s talk about why and what’s going on here.

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Morning Musing: Hebrews 11:14-16

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“Now those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they were thinking about where they came from, they would have had an opportunity to return. But they now desire a better place — a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.” (CSB – Read the chapter)‬‬

I’ve spent the last week away from home. Today we’re traveling back. I’m looking forward to that. It’ll be good getting back to my own bed and my own stuff and the people with whom I spend the most time other than my immediate family. Yet in being away from home, I’ve gotten to spend a week in the place and with the people who were my home for what was still most of my life (although I’m close to crossing the line where that won’t be the case any longer). It’s all got me thinking about what home means and where exactly home is. Let’s talk about it for a bit.

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