Valuing the gift over the giver

Still journeying through the wilderness with the Israelites in my quiet times. Looking today at their coming to Mt. Sinai - to the mountain of GOD. Realizing fresh how much God desires intimacy with us ... over our service and our sacrifice, over our devotion and even our time, over our gifts and our contributions to His kingdom ... He wants ME! And so, He allows those wilderness days (and months), those uncertainties and tragedies as a means to woe me to Him, to wrap His arms around me, to be near me .... and I start looking for ways to get out of these uncomfortable places and to the desires and comfort that God undoubtedly knows I desire and I miss the chance to just come in close and BE. It's so easy to BE with Him ... no need to put on a mask ... He made me and loves me just like that. No need to hide what's really on my heart, He already knows ... so to BE with Him just requires that I come and I STOP.

Just like the Israelites, though, we often cease seeking the Giver ... instead we become only concerned with what He has to give, how He can redeem this time or restore this situation and like children, we run out to car saying "what did you bring us??" instead of "I love you! I'm glad you're home!"

I LOVE giving gifts ... love looking for something thoughtful and personal, something that communicates that I care, that I pay attention to what's important to them or what they like ... that I spent time and creativity, more than money. But I dare say, even though I LOVE, LOVE giving gifts ... I would not want the gift to be the determining factor in the value I am in someone's life ... or to be indicative of the value I place on them! After all, it's a gift ... a token ... not the sum total of who I am in their life or who they are in mine! God gave us the PERFECT gift, the one that would meet every need we have, the only one that could give us a relationship with Him and what have we done with that? Even in this Christmas season do I stop to thank Him for that gift? Do I stop to worship Him for who He is? Do I take the time just to be with Him in the midst of a busy season? He chose ME!

As Moses went up to meet God, God called down to him from the mountain: "Speak to the House of Jacob, tell the People of Israel: 'You have seen what I did to Egypt and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to me. If you will listen obediently to what I say and keep my covenant, out of all peoples you'll be my special treasure. The whole Earth is mine to choose from, but you're special: a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.' Ex. 19:4-6

He found him out in the wilderness,
in an empty, windswept wasteland.
He threw his arms around him, lavished attention on him,
guarding him as the apple of his eye.
He was like an eagle hovering over its nest,
overshadowing its young,
Then spreading its wings, lifting them into the air,
teaching them to fly.
Deut 32:10-14

In my study, I've come to understand a little more about the relationship between an eagle and her babies. God used this imagery to predominently, it must have been commonly undertstood by the people. Obviously a mother eagle will be a fierce protector of her brood, but she also wants them to grow big, strong, and independent, so as they grow, she will agitate the nest to see if they are able to fly. Of course she watches them closely and swoops down to rescue them (on her wings) when they aren't quite ready to fly on their own. God's not afraid of bringing a little agitation to our nests either ... can't say I love it ... but He's also not going to let me crash to the ground. He will carry us on eagle wings until we are able to make it on our own.

I love the storyteller Andrew Peterson is. I'm gonna leave you with his song, "Passover Us" from his "Behold the Lamb of God" album.

Well, we all remember Moses on the banks of the river
He said "Pharaoh, you've got to let my people go.
You don't want me to have to tell you this ten times over--
Denial ain't just a river, you know"

And we all remember Pharaoh, he just wouldn't do it
So the plagues they came upon Egypt one by one
His heart was hard and the other nine just couldn't move it
So the last was the worst: the death of the firstborn son

But the Lord, he gave to Moses a word for the people
He said their firstborn sons could live to see another day
"Put the blood of a lamb on the doorway and death will pass right over"
That night all of the children of Israel prayed,

"Lord, let your judgment Passover us
Lord, let your love hover near
Don't let your sweet mercy Passover us
Let this blood cover over us here"

So the years went by and the people they whined and they wandered
And only sacrifice atoned for the sins of the land
So you see the priest he placed upon the holy altar
The body of a spotless lamb
And he prayed,

http://andrew-peterson.com/players/btlog/beholdthelamb.html