Readings for today: Exodus 23:14-25:40, Matthew 24:29-51, Psalms 30, Proverbs 7:24-27
Practice makes perfect. How many times did I have a coach who used that line? I hated practice. Saw it as a necessary evil. Something to be endured until game day. Over time, I matured. I grew up. I began to realize the importance of practice. Daily rhythms that make us who we are as people. So I go to the gym most days. I engage in the same routines to build muscle and endurance and keep my body in shape. I read regularly. I engage my mind in daily routines to build memory and stay sharp. I practice spiritual disciplines of prayer and reflection on Scripture every single day so I can build my relationship with God. I worship every week so I can grow deep with a community of other believers. I go to Africa twice a year so I can humbly learn at the feet of some of the best Christians I know. Practice makes perfect and I am being perfected by the Spirit as I engage in these things.
Throughout the Old Testament, God sets up certain practices for His people. He requires them to keep certain feasts. Three times a year they are to appear before the Lord. The Feast of Unleavened Bread commemorates their deliverance from Egypt. The Feast of Harvest celebrates God’s provision as Israel brings their firstfruits to the Lord. The Feast of Ingathering (Tabernacles) marks the end of the agricultural year for Israel and they would mark the occasion by coming before the Lord and live in tents for a week to remember their wilderness journey. On the face of it, these practices can seem arbitrary or even unnecessary. Do we really have to go up to the Temple? Can’t we worship God in our own community? In our own homes? Why do we need to go live in a tent for a week? Why do we need to give God all our firstfruits? Won’t He understand if we fudge a little or keep some back for ourselves? After all, God wants us to take care of ourselves, right?
Wrong. God ordains certain practices because of the way He created us. We become what we practice. We are creatures of habit. We follow rituals and routines in order to be successful and make our way in the world. God knows this about us. He shaped and formed us in this way. And that’s why, from the beginning of Scripture, God sets up certain routines to help us connect with Him. Six days shall you work and on the seventh you shall rest. Six years shall you work the ground but on the seventh you shall leave your fields fallow. Three times a year you shall leave your work and your home and present yourself before the Lord. Every week you will gather with the people of your community in worship. Every day you shall spend time in prayer and meditating on My Word. These rhythms are divinely appointed for our good. They are designed to make us in the likeness of Christ.
Building a deep relationship with God is never accidental. It doesn’t happen randomly or haphazardly or only when we can spare the time. It requires intentionality. It requires daily spiritual practices that direct our attention away from “self” and towards God. This is not easy work because our natural orientation is inward. Our natural way of thinking is self-centered. Our natural desires are self-serving. If we’re honest, most of our daily practices only reinforce this sinful way of thinking. Everything we do from the way we eat to the way we drink to the way we exercise to the way we spend our time and money is designed primarily for our personal pleasure and happiness. Such has always been the case which is why God lays down these commandments about Sabbath and sacred festivals and feast days. He is attempting to draw our attention heavenward. To get us to focus on Him.
What routines have you built into your life to help you connect with God? What rhythms do you keep that connect you to God’s people? Jesus Himself says the first and second great commandments are to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. We need both the vertical as well as horizontal relationships in our lives. Left on our own, we will disconnect from God and disconnect from one another. So again, what spiritual practices are you engaging in to keep you from falling away from the Lord?
Readings for tomorrow: Exodus 26-27, Matthew 25:1-30, Psalms 31:1-8, Proverbs 8:1-11