Exodus 33:7 (NIV): Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the LORD would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp.
WE live in a world where time is a hot commodity in short supply. From sunrise until sunset, we generally have somewhere to go and something important to do, and every minute of our lives is controlled and accounted for. Often, with our busy lives and hectic schedules, with our family obligations, hobbies, extracurricular activities, and job requirements, we forget to schedule GOD an appointment, or if we do remember Him, we give Him what’s left over of our time and offer Him a quick, drowsy prayer before bedtime.
In order to find GOD though—to meet Him and have a spirit-filled encounter—we must seek Him, putting ourselves in the right place at the right time. We must make Him a priority in our days, our nights, and our lives, and we must endeavor with every breath of every day to have a conversation with Him, to build a relationship with Him, to worship Him, and to love Him, not for what He can do for us but because of Who He is—Our Creator, Our Heavenly Father, Our Sovereign King--the Almighty, LIVING GOD.
We must enter our prayer closets, our secret places, or carry and secure our own “tent of meeting,” giving GOD what He deserves—First Priority—the number-one preference and our full, undivided attention.
We must put our faith, hope, and security in GOD instead of in other people, in our finances, or in our jobs. We must take our tents, GO, and pitch them “outside the camp”—away from others and away from the cares of the world and the distractions of life.
To meet God we must be consecrated, “set apart,” and devoted to Him; to reach Him we must go through His Son, JESUS CHRIST, the only Way, Truth, and Life--the only Gate and the only Door to GOD the Father. And we must be willing to BELIEVE IN and TRUST HIM—GOD—not only with our hearts, our minds, and our souls but also with our time, our treasures, and our talents.
We must make ourselves AVAILABLE anytime and anywhere, because GOD is ever faithful and always available to us. He even promises in Hebrews 13:5 that He will never leave us; neither will He forsake us. But we’re the ones who are too busy to receive Him, the ones who don’t have any time to spare.
One pastor explains our situation best when he says, “We must redeem the time: cancel hobbies, forsake television, and put away the newspaper and magazines,” for “Those who would find God find time.” And this is true; we should not forget GOD, push Him aside, or offer Him our crumbs—that one-minute prayer before bedtime, that hasty or selfish prayer for what we want but do not really need. Instead, we should offer GOD an open invitation; we should give Him everyday for a divine appointment; and we should make HIM feel loved, appreciated and welcomed in our quiet moments, our private corners, our prayer closets, our homes, our offices, our vehicles, and our personal tents, so He will come, sup with us, whisper in that still, small voice, and fill us with His HOLY SPIRIT until we overflow, bearing the FRUIT OF HIS SPIRIT: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
As GOD'sWORD declares in James 4:8, when we draw near to GOD, HE will draw near to us. So, let us make this commitment for ourselves--to make time every day and find a quiet moment, go into our tents, closets, or personal spaces, and meet to the MOST AMAZING PERSON ALIVE: The LORD of ALL, the KING of KINGS, the HOLY ONE--our HEAVENLY FATHER--GOD.
