October 21st

Exodus 27:1-28:43, Mark 5:21-6:6a, Psalm 24:1-10

You know those days when you have to take practically everything to school? You have about 20 books, your PE kit and all the ingredients to cook the heaviest dish known to mankind. Or you’ve just been shopping and bought far more than you intended and now have to walk back home with 3 bags in each hand all weighing a ton. I kind of imagine that it was a bit like this for the Israelites as they wandered in the desert carrying all this stuff made of pure gold, it must have been a right pain to lug around.

But imagine on the other hand what it would have looked like when it was all set up. They were in the desert camping out, a bit like Soul Survivor was, and then in the centre of this massive camp is a huge complex with curtains all around it, in there was a tent for the ark of the covenant and when you walked past you saw gold, silver and bronze everywhere and even the priests were covered in gold. You can really imagine why this became known as the house of God and the temple (when it was built) was the dwelling place of God.

We know today that God is not confined to a tent or a building, he is everywhere and within us. Yesterday we looked at those posh hotels where everything is made of gold, even the beds. But that is what we deserve, just as there was all this gold first time round to house the things of God, we are the things of God and we are just as precious. Jesus in the gospel is not put off when this girl dies, she is a child of God and he goes to her. Similarly the woman with the bleeding is a precious child of God and Jesus reaches out to her when she comes forward. The Psalm talks of all in the earth being of God, being made by him. He tells the gates and the doors to lift themselves up so that the Lord may come in.

No matter how much stuff you have to carry around today, you are precious, loved and of God. Lift up your eyes, lift up your heads, lift up your hearts and let the Lord almighty in.