The Tent Of MeetingExemplo

Yesterday, we started talking about Bezalel, the artisan who God chose to lead the construction of the Tent of Meeting.

In the days long before the beautiful Temple was built, the Tent of Meeting was a simple and modest place where anyone and everyone could come meet with God and spend time with Him.

This image in verse 11 of God speaking with Moses, “as one speaks to a friend” is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful depictions of the intimate relationship God desires with each one of us.

As I was saying yesterday, God’s presence isn’t limited to the four walls of a building where we meet on Sundays. That being said, imagine if our churches were truly like the image in this passage. Imagine if the presence of God was so tangible that no one was looking at his or her watch to see when the service was going to end. Imagine if Sunday after Sunday, people would hurry back to the House of God because of their unquenchable thirst for a God-encounter.

Here are a few keys for us as artisans of the Tent of Meeting:

Firstly, even if our churches can be a meeting place with God, let’s never forget that Jesus Himself is our Tent of Meeting (Hebrews 1). There is no other mediator between God and us, and Jesus Himself is our access to the presence of the Father. As leaders in His House, I pray that church would never be our only meeting place with God. I pray that all of us would learn to develop a personal and intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father. The power of what we bring on a Sunday depends on the relationship with have with Him during the week.

Secondly, let’s never forget the main goal. Our creativity and our talents are important, but as artisans, let’s never forget that our ultimate goal is to shape an environment where people can experience a face-to-face encounter with God. We must use (and even push the limits) of our creativity, for after all, we serve the God who is, by definition, a Creator. And we have been made in His image. But let’s make sure our creativity never becomes a distraction to what God wants to do in people’s lives. Let’s remember that we are not there to impress anyone with our creative skills. A bit like John the Baptist, we are there to prepare the way for Jesus. We must become less, so that He may become greater.

Today’s question: How can I stir a fresh thirst for the things of God and grow in my daily relationship with Him?