Going to God's House

"Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and called it the tabernacle of meeting.  And it came to pass that everyone who sought the LORD went out to the tabernacle of meeting which was outside the camp.  So it was, whenever Moses went out to the tabernacle, that all the people rose, and each man stood at his tent door and watched Moses until he had gone into the tabernacle.  And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle and the LORD talked with Moses.  All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose and worshiped, each man in his tent door. So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.  And he would return to the camp, BUT HIS SERVANT JOSHUA THE SON OF NUN, A YOUNG MAN, DID NOT DEPART FROM THE TABERNACLE."  Exodus 33:7-11


I find this an interesting passage in the Bible.  Don't you?  Not only does it say how God spoke with Moses face to face as a man speaks to his friend, but I was especially struck by the last part of verse eleven about Joshua.  Others stood by their tent door, but not Joshua.


Jumping ahead in Scripture, you'll remember that Joshua and Caleb were the only two spies that reported good things about the Promised Land.  Joshua believed God and trusted Him with all his heart.  Looking at Exodus 33:11, we can begin to see how and why, or at the very least where this foundation of trust grew in Joshua's life.


The Bible says, Joshua did not depart from the temple.  Wow.  Joshua,a young, robust man, could have chosen to go anywhere, but he chose spending time with God at God's house.

It made me think, we can go or do anything we want on the weekend.  There's always something calling our attention away from going to church on a Sunday morning and evening:  sports, yardwork, television - you fill in the blank.

I know as I have been recovering from my surgery I have missed many church services, much to my chagrin.  It could become very easy to continue in the same pattern.  After all, there's so much to do, isn't there?

This weekend was my oldest son's graduation and I was very tired after our family picnic on Saturday.  But I knew that I needed to be in God's house on Sunday morning and at the evening service too.  Reading this particular Scripture reinforced that need.  It's what I need.  It's what my children need.  It's what our family needs.

Why?  Because going to God's house to worship the Lord and hear the Word of God taught is an essential part of growing in Christ.

In closing, I will leave you with what the LORD told Moses in verse fourteen.  The LORD says this:  "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."  When we trust in the Lord and make time to learn more about Him and worship Him, we will find rest even in the busyness of life.

May you find rest in the LORD today.

Live the adventure,
Susan