Sometimes, God seems distant from where we want Him to be. You wonder whether God cares enough to show up, meet with you, or simply be with you. Well, I hope this short devotion comforts you.
“Have them make an ark of acacia wood—two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.11 Overlay it with pure gold, both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it. 12 Cast four gold rings for it and fasten them to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other. 13 Then make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 14 Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry it. 15 The poles are to remain in the rings of this ark; they are not to be removed. 16 Then put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law, which I will give you. 17 “Make an atonement cover of pure gold—two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. 18 And make two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. 19 Make one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; make the cherubim of one piece with the cover, at the two ends. 20 The cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover. 21 Place the cover on top of the ark and put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law that I will give you. 22 There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the covenant law, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.” (Exodus 25 v 10-22)
Three things stand out.
The ark wasn’t made entirely of gold. Underneath the gold was acacia, wood found in their desert surroundings. God took something ordinary from the wilderness and covered it, not only with gold but ultimately with His glory. You may feel like plain acacia today. You may even view your surroundings as desert-like. But what you feel might reveal something you don’t expect, for His glory can overlay all your pain.
The ark had poles, but they were never removed. Even when the ark stopped, the poles stayed in place. It was always ready to move. God’s presence travelled with His people through every stage of the journey. This would never be because of their obedience to Him. In fact, throughout the wilderness years, they kept turning away and coming back to Him for forgiveness. No matter what has happened in your life’s story, God is committed to being with you. If the path that you are on is difficult, you are not moving on without Him. Wherever the road is taking you, He is coming too.
The ark contained the 2 stone tablets of the law that were given to Moses; above it sat the mercy seat, sprinkled with sacrificial blood. God said, “There I will meet with you.” Jesus is our mercy seat, and God meets us not because of what we have done, but because of what He has done.
Today your approach to God may be littered with an awareness of all you have done wrong and all that is uncertain in your life. You may not come to prayer thinking about all you have achieved, and that is good. Coming to God means coming to His mercy, and that is where He promised to meet you. You have done nothing to earn His presence; this is mercy.
