Having instructed Moses to build him a tent - the "tabernacle", so he can be present with his people, God now orders a wash basin, perfumed incense and oil.
Humans have no sensory organ to "feel" God with. God knows this about us. So ingeniously, God uses three things to associate himself to a sense: water, incense and oil which we can touch, see and smell.
That is, God has his own scent. And he demands that only he can wear that scent.
God is interested in us "feeling" him. He gives us words we can hear and read. He reveals information about himself we can ponder and process. And he wears a scent so we can smell him when we are in his tent. And he puts out water so we can feel our impurities washed off us.
What sense do you associate with God's presence in the world: the sound of waves or birds, the smell of flowers or sea air, the sight of mountains and star filled skies?
Write
Think about your faith story: what are the ways you have "felt" God?
Presently, where do you feel God's presence most strongly? In what situation or relationship do you really need to feel him present?
Who do you know need to feel God's presence?
Pray
What
is God saying to you today? What's Good News to you?
Talk to God about the ways you feel him. Thank God for his presnce in your life in the world, and the way he reaches out to you.
Pray about the situations and relationships where you crave his presence. Ask God for the wisdom and support to be quiet, to make space, and to allow him to come near.
Pray for your friend who needs to feel God's presence. Pray for the wisdom and opportunity to come along side them and facilitate an encounter of God..
Pray for an experience of God's love, grace and mercy in the way he comes to you in ways you can feel through nature, and the way his touch reaches out to others through you.