I Will Meet You There
Jami and I have been married for nearly 27 years this July. Two. Seven. Twenty-seven. And even though it’s been nearly three decades, I can still remember the first time we went out by ourselves… well, at least the first time I picked her up and drove her on our first official date. The feeling of being nervous. The feeling of excitement. The hope of her liking the cologne I was wearing. The looking forward to seeing and simply being in the same room as her… hoping she was feeling the same thing about me.
There’s just something deep within us that has a desire to be met. Not avoided. Not managed. Not put off until later. We all know how that feels. But to have someone who deeply desires to be with us… To be seen… To be known… And welcomed right where we are.
In Exodus chapter 30, verse six, God gives Moses specific instructions where the altar of incense should be placed within the tabernacle. You see, the priests would burn fragrant incense on it every morning and every evening. Check out where this was placed…
“Place the incense altar just outside the inner curtain that shields the Ark of the Covenant, in front of the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—that covers the tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant…” – Exodus 30:6
And then, at the end of this verse He, God, says something so very deeply personal…
“I will meet with you there.”
You see, this isn’t just about God going all Joanna Gaines on Moses want the exact placement of furniture within the tabernacle! Oh, make no mistake, it is about a God who is creating a space. But it’s an intentional creating a space for an encounter with people. The location of where God instructs Moses to place this altar of incense is key… it sat right on the threshold of the presence of God.
As priest would burn the incense day and night, as the incense rose up it signified prayer rising to God Himself. “Accept my prayer as an incense offered to you, and my upraised hands as an evening offering.” (Psalm 141:2) “And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.” (Revelation 5:8) The incense never stopped burning. This signified continual worship and dependence on God. It was there where God promised to meet with the people of Israel.
And here’s what’s powerful… this meeting wasn’t initiated by humans who were perfect… I mean, even the priests weren’t perfect. No one was or is perfect. This meeting wasn’t initiated by humans… It was a divine invitation to meet by God Himself.
“I will meet with you there.”
God is the one who establishes the meeting place. And as we read through Scripture we can trace this straight to Jesus.
“At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart,” – Matthew 27:51
It’s through the sacrifice made by Jesus that the veil of the Old Testament was torn. And what was once “restricted access” only accessible by the priests, becomes open for all to have access. And get this, the “there” we see in Exodus 30 is no longer a specific physical location, but now a relational reality!
Now… right now… God no longer simply meets people in physical temples, but now in the hearts of people surrendered to Him. And here’s what this means for each one of us today… We often think we have to have everything together before we meet with God. Clean thoughts. Strong faith. Perfect consistent living.
Exodus 30:6 reminds us that God isn’t waiting for perfection, He’s inviting us into His presences. The question isn’t, “Am I ready enough?” The question is, “Will I accept His invitation and meet with Him there?”
Where is your “there” right now? It might be a quiet moment in the house before everyone else wakes up. It might be on your break at work. It might be in your car as you drive around town. Or it might be in the five honest minutes where you stop pretending and start communicating with God Himself.
That place, wherever your “there” is, might seem ordinary. But when God meets you there, it becomes sacred. It’s a simple invitation, but one that holds so much power. Wherever your “there” is, turn your attention to God. He’s ready to meet with you…
“I will meet with you there.”
Not someday. Not when you’re “good” enough. But right in the middle of your everyday life. Wherever your “there” is, He’s already there waiting. God doesn’t want a ritual to be followed, He died to have a relationship with you today.
“By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place.” – Hebrews 10:20
Faith Over Fear
A few years ago, Jami and I had LVP (Luxury Vinyl Plank) laid in the entire first floor of our home. So, instead of having four different types of flooring on our first floor, with one being carpet, we now only have one. In addition to getting new flooring, we also have big rugs in two of the rooms with smaller rugs by the front door, the door to the garage and the back sliding door. We love it. However, our five-year old labrador retriever does not. She’s petrified of the new flooring! I don’t know what changed, but she now essentially lives rug to rug. And as she walks on the LVP to get from rug to rug, you can see the fear in her eyes. As she walks from the front room to the back tv room, this is her routine… She walks from the front room rug, to the stairs which are carpeted, to the front door rug, to the garage door rug, to the sliding door rug, and finally to the back room rug where she can finally relax. And as she’s walking, her legs are shaking as her nails are desperately trying to grab on to what’s not there. She won’t stop on the new flooring. She won’t sit. She won’t even pause to pick up a toy or eat any type of human food. She is simply paralyzed with fear. And so, her little life is confined from one rug to the next all because she has given in to fear. As I look back over my life, there are times that I’ve given in to fear as well. There are even times now where I’m still paralyzed by fear. But that’s not how God has designed us to live. Check this out:
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7
You see, fear is a powerful force. It can paralyze us and keep us from stepping into what God has for us. But God is all-powerful. And through His strength, we can face and confront fear head-on as our faith grows and our fears begin to diminish. So, let’s look at three truths of fear.
First, fear distracts us from what really matters. You see, we could place the tastiest chunk of steak on the floor, and our lab would crouch down desperately trying to grip the floor with her lab nails, and with shaking legs quake past it to get to the next rug. Her fear completely consumes her focus, causing her to miss out of something she desires. Isn’t that how fear works itself out in our life as well? Fear causes us to focus on the obstacles instead of God’s opportunities. When God calls us to something, whether it’s sharing our faith, making a big decision, or stepping into a new season, fear tries to keep us stuck. And we hesitate and overthink which sometimes causes us to miss what God has set before us because we’re too focused on our fear.
That’s what fear does. But when we shift our focus off fear and place our faith in God, the Father, He gives us eyes to see life differently. Instead of dwelling on the fear itself, we get to look to God’s promises, trusting that He’ll guide us even when the path seems uncertain.
Psalm 32:8 says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.”
Secondly, fear steals our strength, but God gives us power. I don’t know about you, but fear is exhausting. It drains my energy. Keeps me up at night. It makes small tasks and decisions feel overwhelming. This is everything fear gives us. It’s fear’s gift to us. But God has something different. You see, God gives us power… He gifts us His power. The power that the Apostle Paul talks about in 2 Timothy isn’t our own strength… it’s not our own power… It's God’s strength and power working in us. The Greek word for power here is the same word used to describe the power of the Holy Spirit. This means that, as we trust in Jesus, we don’t have to rely on our own abilities. We have access to the God’s power working in and through us. In fact, the result is 100 times better and greater because of this than if the result only depended upon my own abilities! How great is that!
Isaiah 41:10 says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
When we face our fear, we can remind ourselves that we are not alone. God is with us, equipping us to stand strong. Instead of giving in to our fear, we can walk in faith knowing that His power is greater than anything we face.
And third, fear is self-focused, but love looks outward. As I look at myself when I’ve been paralyzed by fear I’ve noticed that it turns my attention inward. I begin to worry about my safety, my reputation, my future. My attention is on ME. But God has given us a spirit of love, a love that gets rid of fear and redirects our focus to God and others.
1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
You see, when we operate out of fear, we hesitate to step into obedience. Maybe we avoid sharing the Gospel because we’re afraid of rejection. Maybe we hold back from serving because we’re afraid of failure. Maybe we don’t step into the new thing because we’re afraid of the unknown. But when love leads us, when Jesus leads us, we can push past fear because our focus is on God’s glory and the joy living within obedience to Him. Love empowers us to take risks in Jesus’ name. It encourages us to trust that God will work through us despite our fear because of His love for us.
Ultimately, fear keeps us wanting what’s comfortable, which in turn, keeps us from the joy and full life Jesus give us as we step past our fear in obedience to His will for our life. We don’t have to live lives controlled by fear. Through God’s Word we can renew our minds and replace fear-filled thoughts with faith-filled thoughts.
Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Are you missing out on what God has for you because you’re too focused on fear? Or will you trust the One who has given you power, love, and a sound mind?
Step out in faith. Walk in confidence. And remember, you were not given a spirit of fear! Trust Jesus over fear today.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10