The Master Designer

I have learned so much more about God since I have been doing the daily Bible readings. It is easy for me to think of God as the Creator of the heavens and the earth. I have never had a hard time "wrapping my mind" around that concept. I can look up into the sky and see His wonders and I marvel at the miracle of the infinite details of a seashell. When I envision God as the Creator, I see that nothing is impossible for Him and He does everything in such a big way. However, as I read through Genesis and Exodus, I see a different aspect of our Creator God. He is a builder, an architect, a clothing designer and an interior designer. For some reason, it is more difficult for me to imagine God in these "every day" roles, but I am realizing that he is an "every day" kind of God. He is very interested in all of the details concerning our daily activity.

When God instructed Noah to build the ark, He knew exactly what the ark needed to remain afloat during the time of flooding. He was specific about the type of wood to be used--cypress. It was to be coated with pitch inside and out. The ark was to be 450 feet long, 75 fee wide, and 45 feet high. As a builder of the infamous ark, God protected Noah, his family and all of the animals, and also demonstrated His wrath upon a godless generation as the waters covered the entire earth. His instructions were accurate and fail-proof regarding the construction of the ark.

In Exodus, we read about the construction of the Tabernacle, the altar of burnt offerings and the priestly garments. These chapters contain tedious details about the construction of the Tabernacle. Surprisingly, I was very fascinated by these chapters. God was very specific about the materials to be used for the Tabernacle just as he was for the ark before the flood. He specified the length of the curtains and size of the altar of burnt offering. He was particular about the clothing for Aaron the priest, and how it was to be designed. He only chose the finest materials to be used for these things. As I was reading about all of God's specifications for the Tabernacle and the priestly garments, I began to ask "Why?" Why would God go to such great lengths to give such detail? Why was it so important to God for his instructions to be followed so accurately?

Sometimes God's instructions are for our protection as demonstrated with Noah and the ark. Other times, God's instructions show us a bigger picture of Himself, or they display symbolism of what is to come. The Tabernacle symbolized in many ways the coming of Christ, the pure and spotless Lamb who would come to atone for the sins of all people. God has also revealed to me that He is a God of great order and detail and He has expectations for His instructions to be followed completely and accurately as an act of obedience. Sometimes it doesn't matter if we know the answer "why" to all that God asks of us. What does matter is that we are obedient to do what He has asked us to do. God the architect, master planner, interior designer is reconstructing each of us on a daily basis. Will we hear Him as He gives us specific instructions about our lives? How will we respond? What I learned from reading these chapters in Genesis and Exodus, is that God has a specific design for our lives, and they will be made of the finest materials--character, endurance, perseverance, faith, etc. Ultimately, our life's purpose is to point to Christ and to demonstrate His love, mercy and faithfulness. May we all be sensitive to God's master planning in our lives so that they bring glory and honor to Him while we are here on this earth.

God's Unfailing Love

I have heard many stories over the years about people who were near death, and as they looked back on their lives, they admitted their regrets and disappointments. One of the biggest regrets mentioned is the fact that the individual didn't spend enough quality time with his/her family and friends. When I come to the end of my life, I will definitely want my friends and family to be reassured of my love for them. If we spend any time reading the Bible, we will find that God is very intentional about letting us know how much He loves us.

There are so many themes in the Bible, but none greater than that of God's unfailing love. From the very beginning, God has been about the business of redeeming and restoring His relationship with man--His beloved creation. Echoing through the pages of Scripture, we hear God's voice whispering, "I love you, and don't forget it." As I have been reading the daily Bible readings, I was struck by the absolute tenderness of God to write this love letter to us.

The term "unfailing love" is mentioned over and over again through the Scriptures. "Unfailing" means "completely dependable", "endless--as a resource or supply."

Here are a few passages from our daily Bible readings which recall God's unfailing love:

Psalm 32:10 "...but eh lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in Him."

Psalm 48:9 "Within Your temple, O God, we meditate on Your unfailing love..."

Exodus 15:13 (From the Song of Moses and Miriam) "In Your unfailing love You will lead the people You have redeemed..."

Psalm 52:8 "But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love forever and ever."

God desires for His unfailing love to be active in our lives--surrounding us and leading us as we trust in Him; but we need to be convinced that He loves us so that we will trust Him completely. God's resources are limitless, and that includes His love as well. Oh Lord, let us be like the olive tree flourishing in the house of God. Shower us with Your unfailing love today. Thank You for sending this beautiful love letter to us in the form of Your Holy Word. May our lives be a reflection of the love that You have poured out on us!