Dunford Family Ministries

Exodus 29:44-46

 ⁴⁴And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar: I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest’s office. ⁴⁵And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. ⁴⁶And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God.

There is a lot of blood associated with God’s presence in the old, old story.  In order for God’s people to see His glory on a daily basis, bulls and goats had to be slain and their blood and bodies offered as atonement for the people’s sin.  At first glance, the act appears cruel and unnecessary.  But an age-old mystery lurks in the shadows.

Life cannot exist without death.  A seed must be buried and die in order for there to ever be a harvest.  And the same is true in every aspect of life, including personal growth.  I must be willing to die to what I think I know in order to live beyond my wildest imagination.

To be set apart, or “sanctified,” always means something alive will cease to exist.  And this is why I believe so many of us struggle when it comes to surrender.  We know our lives are a mess at best, but it is still an existence with which we are familiar. For the record, dying to self hurts, but living through Christ heals.  A set-apart life is worth the price!

Reading through the Bible: January 27, 2012

Exodus 28-29 http://www.blueletterbible.org/reader/daily/generic.cfm

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Exodus 27:20-21

²⁰And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always. ²¹In the tabernacle of the congregation without the vail, which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the LORD: it shall be a statute for ever unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel.

It is absolutely boring and fascinating all at the same time to read the details woven in the construction of the place God would meet His people.  The Tabernacle is amazing; gold everywhere.  The finest of woods and the most precious stones money could never buy.  Its measurements are precise, cubit to cubit.

But it is the issue of light that awakens me. This structure had everything, yet without a lamp stand filled with oil pressed from the olive, the testimony of God’s presence among mankind would be incomplete.

Today, we don’t have to go to an elaborate place like the Tabernacle of old to meet with our God.  But one thing still remains.  Without light, His testimony is incomplete.  The difference in now versus then is a tiny 2000 year-old detail: Jesus.  His coming made it possible for you and me to become the candles that men see.  And His sacrifice made Him the oil that brings us light.  Let Him shine in you today.  Someone in your life needs a break from the darkness.

Reading through the Bible: January 26, 2012

Exodus 25-27 http://www.blueletterbible.org/reader/daily/generic.cfm

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January 25 – Promises, Sweet Promises

Exodus 23:25-26

²⁵And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee. ²⁶There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfill.

I admit, many times I pick up a book and skim the first few pages.  Then, I will make my way back to the table of contents and decide from there what chapters spark my interest.  Consequently, I often find myself lost and confused when it comes to pertinent details to the story.

The instructions God gave His people in the Old Testament shed light on so much going on in our lives today.  Chapters 22 through 24 cover a myriad of acceptable conduct as well as habits to avoid.  But what arrests my attention is a promise woven in the midst of it all.  God tells His loved ones if they will hold true to Him alone, He would not only take care of their necessities, but He would also stave off sickness, disease and barrenness.

It’s easy to argue with what we don’t understand and what we cannot control.  But for those of us who are tired of doing life our way and yielding subpar results, this promise is quite appealing.  So, my prayer today is “God, reveal any area in my life in which I have not been true to You alone.”  And from there, I repent, ask for help and determine to love Him with all I’ve got.  Then, just maybe, those “pieces of baggage” I’ve been carrying will find an eternal resting place!  Sounds good to me!

Reading through the Bible: January 25, 2012

Exodus 22-24 http://www.blueletterbible.org/reader/daily/generic.cfm

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Exodus 20:18-19

 ¹⁸And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.  ¹⁹And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.

The earth belongs to God and everything in it responds to His presence.  His standards are holy and yet his love for us is undeniable.  Through Christ, He has fixed a way for everyone to come to Him without being destroyed by His Awesome power.  However, this was not the case for the Israelites, so, consequently, they feared God and asked Moses to be their go between.

How many times have we sat in church or in the classroom with the view that the pastor or the teacher had all the answers? All I have to do is just go by their knowledge and follow their instructions. The problem with this sort of scapegoat mentality is God wants to talk with us.  We are His kids and His plans for our lives are specific.

So even if you hear weird noises or you are haunted by past mistakes, just ask Him to help you overcome the test.  Then draw near to Him daily through reading His Word and prayer.  As He leads you, He will use the wisdom of others to simply confirm what He already told you.

Reading through the Bible: January 24, 2012

Exodus 19-21 http://www.blueletterbible.org/reader/daily/generic.cfm

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Exodus 16:8

 ⁸ Also Moses said, “This shall be seen when the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to the full; for the LORD hears your complaints which you make against Him. And what are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the LORD.”

Moses leads the mass body of Israelites out of slavery by supernatural means.  God moved heaven and earth to save their lives.  And when they finally come to a place of freedom, they rejoice and complain all in one breath.

Lest we judge them too harshly, we can be guilty of the very same thing.  I have done it more times than I care to admit.  I misplace my keys on occasion.  I search all over creation for them.  Finally, I cry out for help from on High (God).  The keys eventually come out of hiding.  I rejoice and promise to pay better attention to them in the future.  My wallet decides to go missing.  Never mind I had something to do with it, I murmur and complain about it like it’s all God’s fault.

Life is more complex than keys and wallets, but the principle remains.  It never pays to bite the hand that feeds you.  To fuss and moan about all that’s wrong is selfish and rude to the One who loves you most.  It doesn’t mean each day will be filled with Christmas cheer.  It just means the One who holds the world in his hands will never ever forget about you.  Wait on Him and you will see He knows what’s best for you and me.

Reading through the Bible: January 23, 2012

Exodus 16-18 http://www.blueletterbible.org/reader/daily/generic.cfm

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