Thoughts in Worship

Message Magazine's Online Devotional for Thursday, September 21, 2017

Audio Link: https://www.spreaker.com/user/reachmanyradio/thoughts-in-worship-09-21-2017

This is devotional thought number 8 in our devotional series, “Removing the Veil: Sanctuary Living in the 21st Century.” Our subject is: A Foretaste of Glory Divine

Here’s the question for consideration: Can God be teaching us lessons even before we know it?

“And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death: There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.” (Exodus 19:12–13).

One thing we must understand about God is that He loves us so much that He must protect us from His essence. Was that confusing? Let me say it this way: the Bible says God is a consuming fire. Sin is flammable. We are sinners. The Old Testament believers understood, in a literal sense, that anyone who stumbled into the presence of God would be consumed. However, God loves us so much, that He put enough separation between us and Him, and then gave us the mediation and blueprint necessary to deal with the sin problem, so we could indeed “...come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16).

It must be difficult for God (I can’t think of another way to say this) to love people with an everlasting love and have to wait until He’s finished refining us, to have face to face communion with us. How must He feel, knowing that we are not ready yet? How much must heaven be anticipating the day when there will be no more sin for us to confess and forsake, no sadness, no pain, and no more separation? How happy will God be when He can finally give us a great big hug? Think about it. He and Enoch were so close, that He could not wait thousands of years to have the kind of closeness I described. This is why the Bible says, “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.” (Genesis 5:24). Enoch took full advantage of the relationship he could enjoy, in his human form, fashioning his life after God’s plan for him; and thus, God fast forwarded his entrance into the kingdom of heaven. Enoch went to heaven and now literally walks and talks with God. He sees God’s actual face. He hears God’s actual voice. He has conversations with holy angels. He has already received the gift of immortality we all are looking forward to receiving. How did that happen? God set bounds. He installed appropriate safeguards as Enoch learned to pray, listen, receive, comply, surrender, grow, follow, and grow some more. He experienced the most of God a human being could, and God took Him to the next level. He removed the boundary. All of Enoch’s sins, inadequacies, etc., were resolved by the God he loved. Then, it was safe to usher him into His full presence.

We will see God’s handiwork, in moving us through the stages of relationship as we continue our devotional thoughts here. We will see that all things have a time and season, with God. We will see that God set boundaries, for a time, so we can be prepared for next-level living. We should be thankful that God loves us enough to be patient and walk with us, step-by-step, as we approach His throne. We should be thankful that we have Jesus Christ to mediate our experience along the way. One day soon, another trumpet shall sound and all who have kept the faith and finished the race, will join Enoch in God’s presence and receive their crowns of life. Be faithful. It will not be long.—L. David Harris...