“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof,
the world and those who dwell therein”
– Psalm 24:1

This is far more than a great line praising God. This is THE fundamental reality of the world! The earth and everything in it belongs to the Lord. Everything! Everyone in this world belongs to the Lord. Everyone. Including you! God is the Creator of it all and the King of it all. He remains fully engaged in ruling the world. He is absolute in His authority and meticulous in His loving attention to the world and everyone in it. Including you.

This isn’t just one truth among many. This is how we need to understand our lives and our world. As much as we may think we like doing whatever we feel like, our lives belong to God. As much as you’re told to just “do you”, you need to do you under God’s Lordship. Yes, you can live life in rebellion. You can live life in ways displeasing to God. But He absolutely has an opinion on that and there will be accountability for living that way. Why? Because you belong to Him!

If you echo this praise, will you live its reality? Will you devote yourself to living under God’s authority as His beloved child? There is tremendous blessing when you do, but it definitely involves some sacrifice. That sacrifice is well worth making because when you fully submit to God, you’re finally living as you were made to live. Your inner conflicts and turmoils fade away because you aren’t fighting against your fundamental purpose and identity any longer. People around you will think you strange (or worse). You’ll miss out on some of the fleeting and foolish temptations of the world for sure. But it’s absolutely worth it! Will you make that sacrifice and live as you truly are? #FollowJesus

“And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.” – Exodus 25:8

What a command! The Almighty God of the Universe Who Created All Things commanded the Israelites to make a special sanctuary for Him. Not simply so He could be worshiped but so that He could dwell in their midst! God had not only intervened to set them free from Egypt and made a covenant with them, He wanted to dwell amongst them. God wanted to be right there in their midst!

It’s truly incredible. After this verse, God gives Moses the exact specifications for a portable sanctuary called the Tabernacle. Once it was built, God’s visible presence really did rest in the center of their camp. It’s truly astounding to contemplate!

And yet, there’s a more astounding truth to contemplate… When Jesus was born, John’s gospel says, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”. When God’s eternal Son took on a human body and nature and was born into this world, then once again, God was dwelling in the midst of His people. That’s truly astounding to contemplate!

And yet, there’s an even more astounding truth to contemplate and it’s about you! When you trust in Jesus, you’re united with Jesus and God’s Spirit comes to live within you. God doesn’t just dwell amongst His people anymore. He dwells inside of each one of His people. That includes you, if you’ve committed your life to Jesus. The Almighty Creator of the Universe not only loves you, He lives in you! You’re a walking, talking Tabernacle, or as 1 Corinthians says, your a temple of the Holy Spirit. Take time to contemplate this amazing truth! The God of the Universe lives in YOU! #FollowJesus

“Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly.” – Exodus 19:18

Take a moment to picture this…. This is the visible presence of God on Earth! It’s absolutely overwhelming – an entire mountain enveloped in smoke and fire. This isn’t how God actually is, it’s simply the limit of what a frail, sin-wracked human can handle. Anything more than that and the holiness of God would prove fatal to creatures of dust like ourselves. The actual presence of God is infinitely more overwhelming than this! The people of Israel were absolutely terrified, and right to be, because when God’s presence is manifest, our unholiness becomes very apparent to us.

Now, realize a precious truth about this… If Jesus is your Lord and if you’ve entrusted your life to Him, then this very same God has lovingly adopted you as His child! This frighteningly holy God loves you! He welcomes you to come into His presence in prayer and praise anytime you want, day or night. You have a relationship with this fearsome, holy Creator of the Universe! And it’s a relationship of love, not fear or dread. You don’t need to be afraid or ashamed, because you are restored and transformed. Isn’t that marvelous?!?

Take time to nurture that relationship. Enjoy it. Delight in it. Spend time each day talking to God. Spend time quietly sitting in His presence and enjoying yourself. Read His Word and delight in it. Sing praises to God. Tell the stories of God. Brag about Him to people who don’t yet know Him. #FollowJesus

“‘Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.’ And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel.” – Exodus 17:6

If God is calling you to do something, trust that He’ll make the way for it to happen! It may not be easy. It may not be comfortable. It may not be on your schedule. But God will make the way!!! He literally made water come out of a rock in a desert to sustain His people! If He can carry them through the most brutal conditions imaginable, then He can certainly carry you through whatever He’s called you to do.

That last part is essential – whatever He’s called you to do. God has to have actually called you into whatever adventure you’re on for this promise to be certain. If you’re in a difficult spot because of something you chose to do, you should certainly pray but you can’t presume upon the Lord. However, if He’s called you to that mission trip, witnessing opportunity, new ministry, new place, new job, or new situation, He will certainly make the way for Him to be glorified in it.

God will never leave His people hanging. He may stretch us a bit, testing and refining our faith, but He’s promised He’ll never leave or forsake us. So trust in Him. Whatever He’s calling you to do, do it eagerly. When you’re in God’s will, be at peace. Take financial and logistical concerns seriously, but don’t fret. Don’t worry. Don’t be anxious. Take all reasonable measures and lift every concern to God in prayer. #FollowJesus

“‘Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none.’ On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none.”

– Exodus 16:26-27

What is it about us that compels us to “check on” God and try to get around His clear rules?!? Out in the desert, God told His people that there would be a double-portion of manna available on the sixth day and absolutely none on the Sabbath. There would be no point in going out to gather on the Sabbath. Then He provided the double-portion on the sixth day which they could clearly see. And yet…. People still went out to check on the Sabbath and see if they could “get ahead” by gathering up some extra manna!

If we’re honest, we can see ourselves in this story. We feel compelled to verify whether God is actually serious and truthful. Something compels us to try and find ways around His rules, “just in case” His provision isn’t enough. Why do we do these things? Why do we struggle to believe God when He’s always been completely trustworthy? Why do we look for reasons to believe His rules don’t apply to us? Why are we seldom satisfied in His perfect provision?

Is there something in your life that tempts you to “check on God”? Is there something that tempts you to try and bypass His design for life? If there isn’t, that’s wonderful. If there is, ask yourself what keeps you from fully trusting God’s Word, promise, and provision? Is it something in your past? Some fear, failure, or lack?

What makes you think you need more than God permits? If your faith is in Jesus, you are in union with the eternal Son of God. You’ve been forgiven, freed from sin’s power, adopted into God’s family, and sealed by God’s Spirit. Discipline your mind to be satisfied with that! Learn to walk by faith rather than by your own sight. Resist any temptation to try and get ahead in a way that is displeasing to God. Instead, take all your requests to God in prayer and simply #FollowJesus