I, so often, find that I’m looking for the easiest way out, for the desktop shortcuts of life, to getting work finished, travelling from A to B, losing weight….and yes maybe to Heaven too.
The tabernacle at the house is made of solid brass and over the years it has tarnished and is quite dull. I felt the Lord prompt me that it didn’t bring Him Glory and I had to agree. So, a small but dedicated team of two of us have been working on restoring the beauty of the tabernacle to reflect the importance of the one whom dwells within it. It’s been a long, painstaking job and we’ve only just got the front looking better, and even then, not yet perfect.
As I sat in prayer the thought crossed my mind that we could guild over the black and tarnished pieces, it would instantly look shiny and beautiful. So God said no. 😂 I wasn’t truly expecting a yes, but here’s why… It’s all a little like our souls, we need to remove all that is not bringing Him Glory, bit by bit, and yes it’s a long weary and tiresome task, but in each part that’s cleansed we are closer to Him. It seems like we have to return to the parts we think we’ve cleaned and have another go, and at times it seems so much easier to put a gloss on it and pretend that it’s all shiny, that the wounds don’t exist, something we church people do more than anyone.
So when we put a layer on top of the dark and ugly bits, we’ve placed another barrier between us and God, and the dirt festers underneath still. We may well fool the world but we don’t fool God. He’s the other side of the dirt and the glossy cover.
Most people I speak to who don’t go to church say it’s because it’s full of hypocrites. Hypocrisy happens when we place a glossy finish over dirt, darkness and wounds, instead of painstakingly allowing the Lord the time to guide us into true freedom.
I’m not saying it’s easy, I’m not saying I don’t ever want to guild over the difficult bits, but I am saying with His grace it’s going to be worth it in the end.
#project99#allforhisglory#getyourselfshiny#youaretheligjt#missionlife#tabernacle#holyhousekeeping
