Keeping it Separate

My daily scripture reading one day last week took me toEzekiel where in a vision, Ezekiel saw a  man “whose appearance was like bronze.”  This man took Ezekiel on a tour of therestored temple. As I was reading, a thought crossed my mind of something Ineeded to check unrelated to the scriptures. I absent mindedly reached for myphone and the next verse I read was about the wall around the temple which was intended“to separate the holy from the common” (Ezekiel 42:20). I slid my hand awayfrom my phone.

I sensed a moment of correction from the Lord. I was aboutto bring the common into the holy space of my meeting with the Lord. Imeditated on that scripture for days wondering how in other ways I introducethe common into places which ought to be kept Holy to the Lord.

It’s a case for putting our phones in a basket as some do atmeals. Because when we meet with the Lord, we feast in such a greater way onthe very bread of life. And I don’t know about you but having that phone out ofsight helps me not to be tempted to reach for it.

I recently heard a teacher say that in the Old Testament,God built a temple for His presence. In the New Testament, God built a peoplefor His presence.

We are His temple. Holiness means set apart, and as thepeople of God we are set apart for the presence of the Lord. And though wedon’t bring the commonplace into what is holy, we do carry His holy presenceinto the common places. We walk around, His presence within, our feet coveredwith the dust of the world. But the only way we can do that victoriously is throughthe preparation of that time given to Him.

No matter where we are along our journey with the Lord, weare always seeking to be more like Jesus. A couple of lines in the old hymn,“Take Time to be Holy” are, “Spend much time in secret, with Jesus alone. Bylooking to Jesus, like him thou shalt be…” Aren’t we glad God doesn’t leave uswhere we are and is taking us toward our goal—tobe like Him, holy and set apart.

 

 

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