I have been spending the last several days hanging out with a cool man named Moses! (Exodus, Chapter 3)
One of the things I have come to love about this man is that sometimes he was just a little slow in understanding. He was well educated, and yet sometimes the man just didn’t get it.
No matter how many ways God revealed himself to Moses, and how times God said to Moses, “it’s me God” – “you know – the God of your father Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob”, Moses still ends up asking God; “so -who should I tell everyone you are?”
The Angel of the LORD came down and revealed himself to Moses from the burning bush. God spoke to him from the flames calling him by name, and still, God had to tell Moses – “dude,” “take off your sandals – you are standing on Holy Ground.” In ancient times removing sandals was a sign of respect. Sandals represented filth and contact with the world.
The hillside where Moses stood at that time was dusty and dirty. Big sharp rocks could likely be found jutting out from the earths surface and prickly thorn bushes threatened those loosely covered feet. I can’t help but imagine creepy crawly things making their way through Moses’ toes, as he paid close attention to where he would step next to avoid the animal droppings. Not exactly the Holy of Holies – and definitely not the place you would choose to be barefoot right?
This morning as I got out of bed and made my way to the kitchen for my much needed first cup of coffee, I quickly found myself remembering Moses. There is nothing like stepping in some unidentified mushy object that the cat dragged in (seriously – but I’ll spare you the details) and feel it squish between your poor unsuspecting bare toes, to yank you out of a sleepy fog. I admit I did my share of groaning and complaining. It was exactly that moment however, that I heard that familiar whisper, God telling me – “this is where I planted those toes little girl.”
Sometimes the dirt and filth from the world creeps in when we aren’t looking. Television commercials seduce our teenagers into making unhealthy choices, our little ones come home from school telling us things they should not yet know, the radio blares out profanities. It all makes you wonder doesn’t it? If God is still in control? Then again, I have to stop and wonder; what does the Holy Spirit step in while he is trampling around in my heart?
Not unlike Moses, God had to remind me (and I love Him for the fact that He is willing to remind me); He came down, not for the clean houses but for the dirty ones. Take your shoes off sister – though filth and contact with the world may have your surroundings looking nothing like a modern day sanctuary, God is there. Dirt and all you are on His Holy Ground.
Blessings from the dirt sister!
dl
