Greetings in the Strong Name of Jesus!!

One of the reasons we celebrate the Lenten Season is take time to leave something out of our lives in order to be more present with the Lord.  Take a look at what the Children of Israel were called to do and think about it in relation to your life.

 Joshua 24:1 - “Then Joshua summoned all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, including their elders, leaders, judges, and officers. So, they came and presented themselves to God.”  NLT

I remember something I did when I was in third grade in the Bauer Elementary School back in Michigan.  I can’t remember the name of the teacher, but I certainly remember the now famous event.  I, and some of my buddies, thought it would be very funny to go up to the school yard before the school year started and see if we couldn’t do something that would be a fun trick on everybody.  Well, we found that the merry-go-round had been recently greased and maintained and some of the grease was still on the fitting at the bottom.  So, we took the excess grease and spread it all over the bars thinking it would be fun to watch the other kids grab the bars and slip off.  We didn’t think about the black grease getting on kid’s clothes but it did and man, did some mothers get angry.  Long story short, I was found out along with the other three kids that were with me.

I was called into the office to “present” myself before the principle.  That was one of the scariest things I ever experienced in my eight or nine short years.  I was petrified because I knew what I had done had been found out and now I was about to pay the price not only at school but certainly at home, too.  This verse today reminded me of that moment in my life.  Can you imagine for a moment what it must have been for those people to present themselves before God?  As often as these Children of Israel had rebelled against God and now, they were summoned to “present” themselves willingly before this awesome and powerful God.  When I “presented” myself before the principle all the guilt of my wrong doing came to mind.  The whole event from planning to execution came to mind.  Being “found out” was an event I care not to have happen again.

However, there is coming a day when each of us will be called upon to “present” ourselves before God.  For some this will be a horrible experience, because just like me and the grease, all of those things they have done in rebellion against God will come to their minds and they will play those deeds over again from planning to execution.  For others it will be like “coming home”, because they spend so much time in God’s presence even when they are not summoned.  When we “present” ourselves voluntarily, with a clean slate, it becomes an experience not of fear and trembling, but an experience of humility and joy.  A wonderful recognition of the greatness and righteousness of God compared to the unrighteousness and insignificance of me.  The hearts that truly seek after God “present” themselves to God often and without invitation.  The heart that does not seek God hopes in their heart God will somehow overlook their sinfulness and accept them anyway.  I wonder what was in the hearts of the Children of Israel that day?  I wonder what is in your heart today as you ponder “presenting” yourself to the Almighty God, ruler of this universe?

You are loved and prayed for/over.

Pastor Roger