I believe in the power and the importance of daily devotions - that is, spending some time reading the Bible and praying, every day. There are many “organized” ways that can be used to assist us in daily Bible reading. I like using the “One Year Bible.” It is laid out in such a way that I can read through the Bible every year.
Today I was reading in the Old Testament about how God gave Moses the commands to build the Tabernacle. This was what we could call “the portable temple,” as the people of Israel journeyed through the wilderness. God gives Moses some very precise commands and specifications of how this was to be built. Moses obeyed God’s commands and the Tabernacle was built just as God commanded. When the tabernacle was set up for the first time, we read that the glory of God filled that structure so that the priests could not even go in to do their work for God.
I see a couple of lessons here. Number one, God has some very precise requirements for those who want to follow Him. Not to follow these precise requirements brought very severe consequences as we read some chapters before, and then again later. We read of how people disobeyed God’s commands, some were stoned to death; two others, the sons of high priest Aaron, were killed by fire from the altar of God.
I have heard people say, and even some pastors preach, that things are “different now.” We live in “New Testament times,” the “age of grace.” They would tell us that the kinds of things, like the judgments of God, just don’t happen like that any more. Another phrase we hear so often is that God is a God of love, not judgment. God does not judge people by killing them, like happened in the Old Testament.
When I read the New Testament I do read much about the love and the grace of God. And I am so incredibly thankful for the love and grace of God! Because, believe it or not, even pastors sin!
I give thanks to God that God did not send fire from heaven or some other method to judge me for the many times I have sinned. But what we need to remember is that even though God is a God of grace, love, and, let me add, incredible patience, it does not give us an excuse to like we want. Because, as I wrote earlier, God has very precise requirements for how he wants His children to live.
God may not send instant judgment because of our sins, but one thing is true, when we do not live according to God’s requirements we lose out on His blessings. Blessings like a job, financial security, a supporting spouse, health and even a long life. We lose out on these kinds of blessings when we refuse to follow the exact standards and requirements of God.
Going back to the reference about the Old Testament tabernacle, the other lesson I see from Moses keeping the requirements of God, was that after Moses had done all that God had required Him to do, and doing it according to His requirements, God’s presence filled the tabernacle.
I believe that as we live according to God’s requirements His presence fills our lives. It may not be visible, or tangible, but as I just wrote above, it is God’s blessings in our lives. I have seen people who are so blessed. Not that they don’t have any problems, they do! Not that they have everything that they want, they don’t! But they are fulfilled, satisfied, happy, at peace, and have everything they need. That is the blessings of God! They are the benefits of knowing, obeying and following the requirements of God.
My prayer for you reading this article is that you learn about God and His requirements, as found in the Bible. Live by them. Then you will be amazed at how God’s blessings will begin to fill your life.
– Dan Daase