Recall:
Watch this: God’s eye is on those who respect him,
the ones who are looking for his love.
He’s ready to come to their rescue in bad times;
in lean times he keeps body and soul together.
We’re depending on GOD;
he’s everything we need.
What’s more, our hearts brim with joy
since we’ve taken for our own his holy name.
Love us, GOD, with all you’ve got—
that’s what we’re depending on. Psalm 33:18-22
“Now, order the Israelites to bring you pure, clear olive oil for light so that the lamps can be kept burning. In the Tent of Meeting, the area outside the curtain that veils The Testimony, Aaron and his sons will keep this light burning from evening until morning before GOD. This is to be a permanent practice down through the generations for Israelites. Exodus 27:20-21
Reflect:
Wow, In between catnaps while reading these passages from Exodus, my mind wanders to "Why?!" I can't believe that God would care about all of this pomp and pageantry. It seems to me to be religion run amok. How often to do we fall into this in our worship of God? Caring about the externals, making rules and policies and procedures?
But what if all of the pomp could be re-imagined as internal rather than external--kind of like the interior castle imagined by St. Teresa of Avila? The truth is that I don't have the connection with the Divine that I would like. I don't maintain a consistent discipline of coming to God, communing with God. Should I focus on building a tabernacle within, giving the attention to it that the crafters of the Hebrew tabernacle gave to it?
I do like the idea of the lamp, constantly tended by the priests, a constant sign that we are remembering the presence of God in our lives.
Psalm 33 is a wonderful reminder for our times. Even in the lean times, God holds us together.
Respond:
Love me God, with all you've got--that's what I'm depending on.
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