Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who say to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water" - John 4:10
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September 29th Devotion
the god of details - Katie westenberg
BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: 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. - Exodus 25:9
Cracking open the book of Exodus feels like a throwback for me. So many dramatic stories from this book were imprinted in my mind by way of Sunday School felt boards. They have become somewhat euphoric for me.
Moses in his humble reed basket being taken in by the princess, that burning bush, wild plagues and the Israelite’s spectacular escape - it’s easy to read through the first half of Exodus like a storybook.
And then comes the latter half - covenants and law, rules and instruction. It seems so antiquated. The reading becomes onerous and I’m tempted to skim. What are we to make of all this? Is it even important anymore?
The chapters are steeped rich in history and cultural significance which is certainly worthy of study on its own, but in reading through Exodus recently I was wowed by something more simple - the details.
“Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of find woven linen and blue, purple, and scarlet thread; with artistic designs of cherubim you shall weave them. Exodus 26:1
When God relayed his vision for the tabernacle it didn’t come in vague and half-baked ideas. He was specific and incredibly detailed. The loops on the curtains, the clasps on the loops, the color of thread, lengths and widths - it’s all in there.
Cracking open the book of Exodus feels like a throwback for me. So many dramatic stories from this book were imprinted in my mind by way of Sunday School felt boards. They have become somewhat euphoric for me.
Moses in his humble reed basket being taken in by the princess, that burning bush, wild plagues and the Israelite’s spectacular escape - it’s easy to read through the first half of Exodus like a storybook.
And then comes the latter half - covenants and law, rules and instruction. It seems so antiquated. The reading becomes onerous and I’m tempted to skim. What are we to make of all this? Is it even important anymore?
The chapters are steeped rich in history and cultural significance which is certainly worthy of study on its own, but in reading through Exodus recently I was wowed by something more simple - the details.
“Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of find woven linen and blue, purple, and scarlet thread; with artistic designs of cherubim you shall weave them. Exodus 26:1
When God relayed his vision for the tabernacle it didn’t come in vague and half-baked ideas. He was specific and incredibly detailed. The loops on the curtains, the clasps on the loops, the color of thread, lengths and widths - it’s all in there.
I have always loved how God gave Noah specific instructions on building the ark, but these details in Exodus take the technicalities to an entirely new level. And they show us an entirely different side of God.
Throughout our lives, we struggle with day-to-day challenges. We face small bumps in the roads, simple challenges that we pray and think our way through. And occasionally we face the big ones. The really tough ones. Sometimes we step back and honestly ask how in the world is this even possible, God? It’s a new territory we’ve never walked before. Our resources are limited. On paper it’s just not even possible.
In Exodus, right amidst those precise instructions and patterns, we meet the God of details. The God who takes Israel’s hand and says “Here, this is exactly how I want you to do it. This thread, that many loops, these bronze clasps.”
All of a sudden the last half of Exodus takes on a whole new meaning for me. Yes, it is a rich history. Yes, we learn about feasts and sabbath law, but we also meet the God who cares about the details. We meet the God who knows and sees, who gently leads those who want to meet Him and know Him and aren’t always sure what that should look like lived out. He takes their willing hands and guides them in the growing.
That God, I AM, never changes. He is still the God of details, taking his people by the hand today. What a gift.
Throughout our lives, we struggle with day-to-day challenges. We face small bumps in the roads, simple challenges that we pray and think our way through. And occasionally we face the big ones. The really tough ones. Sometimes we step back and honestly ask how in the world is this even possible, God? It’s a new territory we’ve never walked before. Our resources are limited. On paper it’s just not even possible.
In Exodus, right amidst those precise instructions and patterns, we meet the God of details. The God who takes Israel’s hand and says “Here, this is exactly how I want you to do it. This thread, that many loops, these bronze clasps.”
All of a sudden the last half of Exodus takes on a whole new meaning for me. Yes, it is a rich history. Yes, we learn about feasts and sabbath law, but we also meet the God who cares about the details. We meet the God who knows and sees, who gently leads those who want to meet Him and know Him and aren’t always sure what that should look like lived out. He takes their willing hands and guides them in the growing.
That God, I AM, never changes. He is still the God of details, taking his people by the hand today. What a gift.
Sunday Follow up
2 Corinthians 12:1-10 - "The sufficency of God's grace"
14 years before writing 2 Corinthians, Paul was given a glimpse of heaven. It is generally believed this happened in Lystra when Paul was stoned and left for dead. I believe Paul was allowed this glimpse into heaven to encourage Him as he continued to serve Jesus in his ministry as an Apostle. A ministry that would be filled with lots of suffering.
However, with that experience came the likelihood of pride. To keep him from becoming prideful, he was allowed to be afflicted by Satan with a thorn in the flesh. We don’t know what form this thorn took place, but we do know that Paul prayed 3 different times for God to remove it from his life. God’s response: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness”.
What does it mean that God’s grace is sufficient? It means that God displays His power in us by sustaining us in our weakness. The website Gotquestions.org says this about God’s response to Paul:
God was reminding Paul that the strength behind Paul’s ministry was not Paul’s experiences or abilities, nor was it the absence of difficulty. On the contrary, Paul’s ability to be faithful in ministry and survive incredibly difficult times was due to God’s grace. God’s grace is sufficient. When we are weak, God’s strength is even more evident. Paul could rejoice and boast in God because Paul knew the power that God exerted in Paul’s life through God’s grace. Paul could then boast in God’s strength, recognizing that, even when we are weak, God is strong. He provides the strength for us to withstand whatever challenges are before us.
Throughout our life with Jesus, we will encounter things that become our thorns in the flesh. It may be a physical infirmity or something that wears on you emotionally. Causing you to realize that you don’t have the strength to deal with it on your own. But those are the moments to rejoice because it is in those moments we can appreciate in a greater way, that though I am weak, God is strong.
What is the thorn you are dealing with in your life? What is it that has robbed you of your strength? What is it that has left you feeling inadequate? There is nothing wrong with asking God to remove it. Understand, however, that God may say to you as He did with Paul – “My grace is sufficient”. If so, press into God. Draw upon His strength and His power. When you do, then you can boast about your God. You can boast about how God took your moment of weakness and made you strong with His strength.
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