Articles - Bulletin
Staying God Centered
Staying God Centered
August 17 marks the day that our children will be returning to the daily grind of education. Some are eager to return and see all their friends and teachers they’ve come to know. Others dread the coming onslaught of homework and different assignments that await them.
I’ve always found it interesting the way that God commanded the Israelites to organize their camp while in the wilderness. In Numbers 2 you read of God’s arrangement of the camp. What you find in that reading is the tent, also known as the tabernacle, was always at the center of the camp with all the tribes camped around it.
Quite literally God was always at the center of their lives. Being that it was a command and specifically instructed by God tells us there is a higher purpose and design. God was teaching these people not only what it meant spiritually but also practically for Him to be the center of everything that they do.
They camped around it, faced it, went to it to worship, offer sacrifices, hear the law read, listen to God’s instructions, seek judgment, and more. It was the center focal point of so many things they did every day. I’d also suggest that they were know by others by this arrangement with this massive tent in the center that was the focus of their lives and worship.
This idea of course carries over into our lives today in the spiritual sense. The physical temple has been done away with but “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Cor.3:16) Our lives are still to be fully focused on and centered around worshipping God and pleasing him
This new school year will bring with it many great opportunities and days of enjoyment and also by nature many challenges and obstacles to overcome. As we prepare for those things let’s decide now what will be our focus and what will influence the decisions we must make in regards to our time, activities, involvement, and direction this year.
--E
