One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. (Psalms 27:4)
Imagine if you had the opportunity to meet the president or ruler of your nation; or whoever you consider to be the most powerful human being on earth. Try and imagine the whole scenario. The invitation, preparation and debrief. Consider the emotions you would feel throughout this entire process.
What would I do if I were in such a position? First off, I’d experience a mixed bag of emotions; confusion, excitement and anxiety. Confused because why would the President want to meet me? Excited because this isn’t a normal occurence for people who are not in such circles; anxious because I wouldn’t want to mess it up. Either way I’d have to put my emotions aside and get to preparation. First things first, clear my schedule and save the date. Some questions running through my mind would be; what will I say and what will I wear? I would probably practise infront of the mirror and feel like a total idiot while doing it. Or I’d engage in some role play with my son; with him being the president of course, then he would tell me, in his ever brutally honest way, how I faired. Then once I feel abit confident in that I would go and look for a power suit and would make a salon appointment. On the D-day, I would show up earlier than any other appointment I’ve ever been to and I would be exhilarated. Finally the day is here. There (s)he comes, the power walk, the silence in the room. The admiration would be palpable as cameras flashed. Then I would be introduced to the president and we would have a conversation. I would imagine after this I would feel honored and would want to brag to some friends about my experience; if they didn’t know already. In the weeks to come, this would remain a memorable occassion and I would have selfies to prove it.
Let’s get away from that picture and on to this one: kingship during biblical times. We know from the story of Esther, in the kingdom of Susa, that there was a law in place that preserved the sanctity of the king’s inner court (Esther 4:11). Any man or woman, boy or girl, young or old, who dared approach the inner court without being summoned would be killed. The only thing that would save one from death is if the king extended his golden scepter to that person.
In the days of Moses, we know that the Holy of Holies was covered by a veil, and no one was allowed to enter except the High Priest, and even he would only enter once a year on Yom Kippur, to offer the blood of sacrifice and incense (Exodus 40). Fast foward to Jesus’ death on the cross (Matt 27:51) which led to the tearing of the temple veil in two. This signified that we could have access to God through the sacrifice of Jesus and through His blood.
We are not speaking of a president or queen or emir or any other earthy ruler here. We are speaking of God, our Lord and Maker. He who spoke all things into being. He who has dominion for ever and ever. He who rules and reigns forever and ever. He who is worthy of all praise, honor and adoration. We are only alive because of Him; not any earthly rulership or authority. We belong to Him and are the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:3).
It is way easier to talk to God than to talk to any earthly ruler. We don’t need a strictly scheduled appointment and we definitely don’t need a power suit. We don’t need to rehearse a conversation infront of the mirror or role play. We just need to show up and leave transformed as we encouter Him each time. We just need to believe that He hears us (Psalms 17:6). Meeting the Queen might change your life for a season, but I can assure you that spending time with God will change your destiny forever.
How will you prioritise God today and in the days to come? How will you clear your schedule to spend time with God who can easily be accessed?
FAITH.GOD.A HUNGER 