God's Presence Dwells with the Obedient - Exodus 39-40 and Matthew 23:23-39

When the Israelites finished making everything for the Tabernacle and the priests, Moses checked it out. He saw that they had done exactly what God had told them to do. Then, they constructed the Tabernacle and anointed it with oil. They cleansed the priests, dressed them, and anointed them. They began to worship God in the Tabernacle. God was so pleased with their obedience. Immediately His presence filled the Tabernacle, and not even Moses could stay, because His presence was so overwhelming. Do you have God's presence in your life in an overwhelming way? The key is obedience. God loves to dwell with those who are obedient to Him. Just think of it this way. Who do you like to hang around with? We like to be with people who think and act like we do. We like to spend time with those people with whom we have a lot in common. God loves to spend time with His obedient children.

Now, look at Matthew 23. The opposite is true here. God was not with the Pharisees, because of their sin. They were dirty with sin. They were hypocrites. No one likes to spend time with hypocrites. God had to punish them for their sin, instead of blessing them with His presence. He would have come to them, but they would not listen to Him. I pray that we will realize that God sees our hearts, and He will not dwell with us in a powerful way, if He sees sin there. We must confess it and repent. God loves to forgive and to cleanse us. Then, He will come to hang out with us all the time.

Tomorrow, I intend to read Leviticus 1-3 and Matthew 24:1-28.