Grains of Sand

Pixabay If you were promised that every desire of your heart would be granted but God would not be with you, would you move ahead toward the fulfillment of your desires? That was the proposition laid out before Moses in Exodus 33. After the incident of the Golden Calf, the Lord tells Moses this: “ Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, I will give it to your descendants.’ I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way…’If I were to go with you even for a moment, I might destroy you’ ” (33:1-5). Hey, the presence of an angel is a pretty good deal, isn’t it? The Hebrews had lived with the dream of a return to Canaan for centuries and here it was within their grasp ev...

Pixabay How many altars have I built in my life? An altar is a place of worship, of commitment, of sacrifice. Noah built an altar when, at last, he and the riders of the great ark were on dry land once again. It is recorded that Abraham built altars at significant points in his spiritual journey. In Genesis 26 Isaac builds an altar as well. This event was spurred by an encounter with God during which the Lord said: “ I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham” (26:24). It is said that Isaac built the altar “…and called on the name of the Lord ” (26:25). An altar is a place of communion, a place of encounter with God. We used to have “altar calls” away back when. Those were moments at the end of a service when the pastor invited anyone who wanted to accept Christ, or make some other significant spiritual decision, to come forward. I responded to one of ...

Every time I read these verses, I wish that I could experience them at least once in my lifetime. " The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang: 'He is good; his love endures forever.' Then the temple of the Lord was filled with a cloud, and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God " (2 Chronicles 5:13, 14, NIV). Have I been in inspiring services? Yes! Have I been reduced to tears because of the worship? Yes! Has the presence of God been so palpable, so obvious, that worship and service came to a halt because of it? I'm sure I would have noticed if I had. What would be my response? I hope it would like Isaiah's as described in Isaiah 6 as the sound of the music took on an angelic voice: " And they were calling ...