Mon.’s Devo - Investing in the Kingdom

Read: Exodus 26:1-27:21; Matthew 25:1-30; Psalm 31:1-8; Proverbs 8:1-11 God was very particular and wordy in his instructions for making the tabernacle and every detail in it. I see it as a picture of how he created man and made every detail of our make up. The curtains are like the sinews and protoplasm of our bodies. The embroidered angels are like the threads of our DNA and the curtains over the top and the leather skins is like the epidermis of our bodies. The structure with the poles and all the sockets are like our bone structure because we are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. We are wonderfully and fearfully made. The Ark of the Covenant which was the very presence of God went into the deepest part of the Tabernacle which is our heart. The altar of incense was made to stand before the ark of God’s presence. It was where the priest would offer his prayers for the people and himself to God. It was to have four horns to stand for the four corners of the earth and for mercy. I wonder if this isn’t in reference to our consciousness. We pray and repent of what we are conscious of. Outside in the courtyard was the bronze altar where the animals were sacrificed. This stood for the cross where Jesus shed his blood for our sins. All the people could watch and see the lambs slain for their sins. The courtyard had curtains for boundaries and a gate where the people could enter. All who entered that gate were entering into the gates of salvation. The courtyard was not big enough for all the people to come in which says to me that only the ones who wanted to participate would. Salvation is free to anyone who wants it but it has to be sought by the person individually. In Matthew, Jesus gave them several parables about the Kingdom of Heaven. The first was about ten bridesmaids who were waiting for the groom to come. Five kept renewing their oil and five let their oil run out. The bridegroom came at midnight and only the five with oil could go out and meet him. The others had to go and buy oil and it was too late. When they came to the door, the groom wouldn’t allow them to enter because he said he didn’t know them. We put the emphasis on the running out of oil but I wonder if the emphasis doesn’t need to be on the part where the groom says, “I never knew you.” Their hearts were not ready because they didn’t have a relationship with the groom to begin with. The next parable is the same. The man left on a long trip and entrusted his treasures to three men. The first two men invested well and had a good return to give their master. The third hid his and his excuse was that he knew him to be a harsh man who harvested crops he didn’t plant and gathering crops he didn’t cultivate. The owner is God and that was this third man’s view of God. He thought God to be a harsh God who used men as his slaves to earn him money he didn’t deserve. This man had nothing to give God at the end of his life. He was like the foolish virgins who had no oil. God gave that man’s gifts to the ones who invested well. We are given one life to choose if we are going to invest into the Kingdom of God. What we do with our lives shows how much we value the things of the God’s Kingdom. Our great reward is not on this earth but at the end of our lives. Lord, may we make decisions for our lives based on your Kingdom and your will on earth. May we invest well.