LORD, BE THE CENTER
Exodus 4:29-31
29 Then Moses and Aaron returned to Egypt and called all the elders of Israel together. 30 Aaron told them everything the Lord had told Moses, and Moses performed the miraculous signs as they watched. 31 Then the people of Israel were convinced that the Lord had sent Moses and Aaron. When they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.
Yahweh saw, He heard, and He was concerned about the plight of His people. He, in turn, sent His message of hope through the vessels of Moses and Aaron. When the people heard, they believed, and they worshipped. God’s desire is to be at the center of our lives. He wants to be the center of our focus…the center of our hope…and the center of our worship! For Israel, when God was at the center, it all worked. But when He was not....
The unfortunate thing is that for many of us, just like with the Israelites, we tend to only put Him in the center when the circumstances of life demand it. In other words, I need Him to deliver me, and so I will give Him my attention only to get His attention for my season of need. And so, what we find is that the heart that does this, truly does not have Christ in the center at all. It is this heart that easily loses focus, easily loses faith, and easily strays…just like the heart of Israel. It is this heart that stays in a place of frustration and fear, because it truly has no real hope to anchor it.
We must learn from Israel’s example. Our worship must be deeper than our moments of need, and it must not be centered around the fulfillment of those needs. Otherwise, when our needs and desires seem to go unfulfilled, we will forsake Him for gods who promise to fulfill them.
And so I pray, “Lord, be the center of my life, be the center of my heart, and be the center of my hope.”
29 Then Moses and Aaron returned to Egypt and called all the elders of Israel together. 30 Aaron told them everything the Lord had told Moses, and Moses performed the miraculous signs as they watched. 31 Then the people of Israel were convinced that the Lord had sent Moses and Aaron. When they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.
Yahweh saw, He heard, and He was concerned about the plight of His people. He, in turn, sent His message of hope through the vessels of Moses and Aaron. When the people heard, they believed, and they worshipped. God’s desire is to be at the center of our lives. He wants to be the center of our focus…the center of our hope…and the center of our worship! For Israel, when God was at the center, it all worked. But when He was not....
The unfortunate thing is that for many of us, just like with the Israelites, we tend to only put Him in the center when the circumstances of life demand it. In other words, I need Him to deliver me, and so I will give Him my attention only to get His attention for my season of need. And so, what we find is that the heart that does this, truly does not have Christ in the center at all. It is this heart that easily loses focus, easily loses faith, and easily strays…just like the heart of Israel. It is this heart that stays in a place of frustration and fear, because it truly has no real hope to anchor it.
We must learn from Israel’s example. Our worship must be deeper than our moments of need, and it must not be centered around the fulfillment of those needs. Otherwise, when our needs and desires seem to go unfulfilled, we will forsake Him for gods who promise to fulfill them.
And so I pray, “Lord, be the center of my life, be the center of my heart, and be the center of my hope.”
by Marc Stern
Posted in Read Through the Bible
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