From Today's Daily Light

Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors.

Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he has mercy upon us.

“It shall be a regular burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the tent of meeting before the Lord, where I will meet with you, to speak to you there.”—“In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you.”

Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.—Pray without ceasing.

It always amazes me both the timeliness of God and the ability of the Holy Spirit to impart what it is that we need individually.

When I read this entry in my Daily Light yesterday, what came to my mind first was Mary, bowed on the ground, washing Jesus feet with her tears and wiping them clean with her hair.

I thought of humility, not just momentary, but purposing to be humble and lingering there. I also thought of how little lingering I have done, humbled at the feet of my Lord...watching at the gates...wating at the door for Him to come.

I have spent a lot of time at other things...with my eyes fixed on personal matters...watching for some change, resolution, or progress. Too much time, actually. Distractions have been plentiful...deadlines at work, my family, trying to stay connected to displaced friends as I am displaced myself, men, sickness, shopping for fall clothes in smaller sizes...you get the idea.

Then I read:

“It shall be a regular burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the tent of meeting before the Lord, where I will meet with you, to speak to you there.”—“In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you.”

The words "burnt offering" have been coming up a lot lately in my readings. When I think of burnt offerings, I think of sacrificing something of value...something that costs...something maybe even precious or necessary for survival.

I think of Israelites in times of hunger, offering bulls and rams...and not just the sickly ones they couldn't eat...the choicest, plumpest...before they had eaten.

I also have to think of what things I need to set fire to...what things the Lord is desiring to burn away, that I might then see that He alone is worthy of my time and attention...that it is His face my eyes need to be fixed on...His move I need to anticipate...His will (not my own) that I need to desire above all. And, not just desire, but delight in...rejoice in...regardless of what it looks like or how it fits in with my desires or plans or hopes.

Lord...get me there, bowed at the funeral pire of all the softening, distracting things that spin my head and sway my heart. Let the flame of sacrifice cleanse me of all that keeps me from you.