God asks Moses to build him a tent - the "tabernacle", so he can be present with his people. Now God gives instructions on the construction of the tent itself.
The Hebrews have always understood that God's tent is a replica of heaven. It's hard to imagine heaven being made of wood, cloth and tapestry of goat hair. But somewhere in the combination of the natural beauty of organic material and the artistry of craftspeople, we get of sense of what God is like through admiring the things he likes.
Here we find the origins of the idea behind great cathedrals. But we also feel the tension between the investment in extravagant buildings during times when there are hungry people in the world.
Then there is the natural cathedral in nature, when majestic trees, rugged mountain ranges continue to testify to the beauty and creative of the Creator.
Write
Think about your faith story: where are the places where you have felt God's nearness?
In your life presently, where do you most "feel" God's presence? How do you need to feel God's nearness again?
Who do you know is artistic and creative, and does not know the Creator who inspired their abilities?
Pray
What
is God saying to you today? What's Good News to you?
Talk to God about your experience of his beauty and artistry. Thank God for the creative gifts he has given you, and the way he leaves his signature in creation.
Pray about the places you feel his presence most clearly. Ask God for to meet you there again, and to give you the wisdom you seek from him.
Pray for your friend who does not know the Creator who created them with their gifts and talents. Ask God for the wisdom and opportunity to introduce them to God.
Pray for an experience of God's love, grace and mercy in the way he reveals himself in nature and the creative arts, and the way he uses your creativity to bless the people in your world.