Scripture:
“Then the glory of the Lord rose from above the cherubim and moved to the threshold of the temple. The cloud filled the temple, and the court was full of the radiance of the glory of the Lord.” Ezekiel 10:4 NIV
After months of thinking and praying about the name for these devos, they officially have one. If you sent along your thoughts and ideas, thank you! I read every email and message and took all of them into account. If you haven’t already heard, we named this thing! Here it is: “Threshold: Entering into a Holy Place.” The scripture above inspired it, and here’s the story behind it.
J and I spent the end of October and beginning of November out West exploring Arizona, and momentarily, Utah. My favorite hike in Sedona, AZ was called “Cathedral Rock.” I didn’t do any research on why it’s called that, but my guess is because the rock formation feels like a massive cathedral. At the end of the trail, there are two towering red rocks framing the scene around you, and the skinny little trail we stood on at the top felt almost like we were placed in a pew.
We saw the hike was deemed to be “easy” in a hiking book, and so we took to the trail around sunset hoping to catch it right before it tucked itself way behind the mountains. My Chacos and feet were coated in red dirt and we stood beside the “end of trail” sign out of breath. I was in messy clothes, hair sticking out all over the place, sweaty and tired, and yet, to me, this became the most holy moment.
We stood mesmerized by the sun as it shifted the shadows around the red rocks we stood on, watching the sky change and shift as the view that captivated us continued to change as we stared. That day, the threshold that allowed me to enter into a holy place was the final step of the hike, before I knew that the view on the other side was worth it. It was the last push of breath from my lungs and the moment when my gaze suddenly went over the huge rocks in front of me to see the “end of trail” sign and to see the show God had planned to put on for us in the sky and on the mountains that night. I was closer to God in that moment than I had been all week, and to me, that hike and that moment was holy.
In Ezekiel, he had a vision that the glory of the Lord filled the temple as a cloud. It was a shift in the atmosphere. You’ve probably experienced that shift in your life like I did on my hike. It’s usually in a moment that feels ordinary. But suddenly when the glory of God is there, it’s beyond what you could ever ask for or imagine. It’s otherworldly. It’s holy.
So, this is my invitation to you, and my prayer for you. I want to invite you to enter into a holy place every Monday morning. At first, it might feel ordinary. It’s just another monday morning. It’s just another unread email in your inbox.
Or, it’s an invitation to read, to show up, to encounter the God who made you and knows you and loves you. It’s a moment that God can use to come and fill you with His glory, even in your pajamas with your coffee cup, even in your cubicle at your office, even on your iphone while you wait in a drive thru line. It’s an opportunity to enter into a holy place, to encounter God. My prayer is that God would use it and move through it for you. That’s what “Threshold” is all about, it’s an invitation to step through the door and enter into a Holy place with our King. It’s about being filled with the glory of God, and then going out into the world as carriers of His peace and His presence. Amen?
Journaling Prompts:
-Reflect on a holy encounter you have had with God in an “ordinary” place.
-How have you felt or seen the presence of God show up in a place before?
-How can you make space and time in your day to experience the holiness of God?
Action Step:
In an “ordinary” moment like walking to your mailbox or driving to your office or waiting for something to heat up in the microwave, take notice of God’s presence in that moment.
Prayer:
Hey God, we love to experience your presence and your glory. Show us your presence and your peace in the ordinary moments. Show us your glory and your holiness. Make this a holy place. Use it for your glory and for your kingdom. Amen.
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