Coming Clean

“When they went into the tabernacle of meeting, and when they came near the altar, they washed, as the Lord had commanded Moses.”  Exodus 40:32

Moses, Aaron and his sons washed in the bronze laver before serving God.   Am I coming clean before God each day?

Thank You, Jesus, that my sins can be washed away  as I repent and confess them to You and ask for forgiveness. Here’s a  simple poem . . .

In Moses’ Day

Aaron and his sons
washed in the bronze
laver, but now
the laver is gone

and we each
get to decide
whether or not
to come clean.

Beaten Thin

“And they beat the gold into thin sheets and cut it into threads, to work it in with the blue and purple and scarlet and fine linen thread, into artistic designs.”  Exodus 39:3

I usually think of gold as something precious and showy – like jewelry.  Not to be hammered upon.

Oh Lord, may I not hold my life so dear that I deny You access to use it anyway You want.  And here’s a simple poem . . .

Our Golden Thread

Beaten thin
and woven in
to create in us
something divine

Jesus, solid
pure and holy
kept His Father’s
design in mind.

Following Instructions

“All who are skillful among you shall come and make all that the Lord has commanded . . .”  Exodus 35:10

Chapters 36-39 give the details of what the skillful made, all according to the Lord’s commands.  Nothing was skipped over or altered to fit another want or need.

Lord, may I heed Your voice and Your word, giving attention to all the details of my life, to live it out according to Your good will and pleasure.  Here’s a simple poem . . .

You Saved Me To Do What?

If I don’t know You
how can I follow
and if I don’t listen
how can I obey?
And if my arrogance
keeps me from doing it Your way
then I am thinking
I still need to be saved.

Excessive Giving

“The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work which the Lord commanded us to do.”  Exodus 36:5
” . . .and the people were restrained from bringing . . .”  Exodus 36:6

There became a need in our small community for support of a local family as their tiny son battled leukemia for 17 months of his short 2 year life.  Today, a house is being built and donated to the new foundation in order to help other families and children with similar needs.

Oh Lord, if we as a people are faulted, let it be for giving too much. And here’s a simple poem . . .

A Given

If there is a need
that we can meet
let us not turn away

remembering how
You gave everything
on that one eternal day.

Is there a need you’d like to share with us today?

An Awesome Thing

“For it is an awesome thing that I shall do with you.”  Exodus 34:10

Awesome.  How often have I used that word? To describe God, other people, places, things?  Yet, I hesitate to use it to describe what God is doing with my life.

Oh Lord, help me understand, believe and see the awesomeness of Your work in everyone . . .and even in me.  And here’s a simple poem . . .

What He Does

Rich Mullins sings
“our God is an awesome God”
and I must agree

and say “YES” to
the next awesome thing
He does with you and me.

An Inheritance

“Then he said, ‘If now I have found grace in Your sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray, go among us even though we are a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sins, and take us as Your inheritance.’”  Exodus 34:9

We may leave an inheritance or receive an inheritance, but Moses asked to be an inheritance.

Lord Jesus, I ask too, to be an inheritance of Your mercy and grace, passed on to the next generation.  Here’s a simple poem . . .

Lavish Living

How grateful I am to be an heir
of Your Holy Kingdom
thankful that through You alone
I am welcomed there

yet I don’t want to get caught up
in all I am receiving
but choose instead to lavish it on
everyone I can.

The Fumble . . .

“And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Cut two tablets of stone  like the first ones, and I will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you broke.’”  Exodus 34:1

I had totally forgot this . . .Moses dropped the original ten commandments.  Not just dropped, but threw them down in anger when he saw the people worshiping the golden calf.  Like a priceless heirloom, I’d think they couldn’t be replaced.  But  God in His unlimited graciousness says, “Come . . .I’ll write again.”

Lord, forgive me for when I drop what You have told me and given me.  Thank You for writing it again and again on my heart. Here’s a simple poem . . .

His Living Heirloom

I’ve been given something so important
of unimaginable worth
more priceless than all the heirlooms
that can be found upon this earth

and if I do drop it
and forget to pick it up
it lays unbroken, calling
“come drink again this cup.”

His Covering Hand

“So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by.”  Exodus 33:22

My hand reaches out instinctively to block my children when braking suddenly, even though I know it’s not enough to cover them.

Lord, thank You for Your hand that is big enough to cover me during hard times and also when I am not able to comprehend Your glory and grace.  Here’s a simple poem . . .

In Daddy’s Hand

Your hand is always on me
to cover, guide and love
as I peek through Your fingers
to see what You’re made of.

Presence Promise

“My Presence will go with you and I will give you rest.”  Exodus 33:14

God was considering sending the children of Israel on up to the promise land without Him.  Moses prayed.  If God couldn’t go with them, he asked to just not go.

Jesus, I long to stay in Your Presence and to only go if You come too.  And here’s a simple poem . . .

The Favor of His Presence

Come into My Presence
find rest within My grace
then rise up and go out
face what you must face.

I’ll yet be with you
covering you in love
for you have found favor
through Christ My risen Son.

Where have you gone today with God?

Stripped

“Now therefore take off your ornaments that I may know what to do to you.”   Exodus 33:5
“So the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by Mount Horeb.”  Exodus 33:6

I can wear clothing that hides my many flaws and feel fairly good about myself.  But put me in a bathing suit and I’m immediately humbled.

Jesus, may the ornaments in my life never come between us.  Let me live with a bared soul for You.  Here’s a simple poem . . .

Unadorned

O Lord keep me stripped down
and before You always bare
not adorned with the false images
or thoughts that I can wear
but humbled in my heart
and in my life of prayer
so Your hand is what’s seen on me
Your grace is what I share.