Beyond the Weekend

December 2 | The Dwelling Place

December 2, 2021

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you. Exodus 25:8-9

Read: Exodus 25:8-9
Listen: 
Exodus 25

TODAY’S MESSAGE

God tells the Israelites to build a tabernacle shortly after their escape from Egyptian slavery. This is a portable tabernacle so God has a dwelling place among his people while they wander the wilderness searching for the Promised Land. God gives specific instructions about what it will look like and how they will interact with him there. While these specifics may have seemed onerous to the Israelites and even to us today, it shows God has a plan and is working it out.

Similarly, God has a plan for us. He wants to reclaim us, restore us and invite us back into a relationship with him through Jesus. Creator God longs to dwell in our lives and longs for us to dwell with him. He gives us instructions about how to follow him in the Bible and how to live life to the fullest and follow him with our whole hearts. What’s more, God even pursues us knowing we will sometimes fail.

It’s easy to question God’s plans for us when we fail. Maybe we grew up in church but got busy and turned away from God as we got older. Perhaps we have run from God our whole life and are starting to seek him out. Some of us might attend church regularly but do our own thing during the week. No matter where we are—God wants a relationship with us and has given us instructions about following him.

IN YOUR CHAIR TIME TODAY

Pray a prayer of surrender to God today. Pray something like this, “God, thank you for pursuing me despite my failures. Show me how to follow you and experience the plans you have for me.”


NEW TESTAMENT READING PLAN

Join us this year as we read through the New Testament.

Today’s reading is Revelation 1.


Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.

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