“The cloud of the Lord hovered over the Tabernacle during the day, and at night fire glowed inside the cloud so the whole family of Israel could see it. This continued throughout all their journeys.” Exodus 40:38
I look forward to Sunday afternoons when we all get together for lunch, usually around a big pot of spaghetti or chili. There’s nothing like family, and God made it that way. His desire from the very beginning was to create a family that He could love, protect, provide for, and most importantly, enjoy.
God wanted to be just a close as He could be to Israel. He knew they had the propensity to sin and go astray, so He set up a system and a way where He could maintain a safe distance, while being just as close to them as possible. He did this through the Tabernacle. So much about that Tabernacle in the wilderness pointed toward Jesus, who would be sent one day so that the Father could be even closer. His ultimate desire was not to just be with us, but in us.
Do you ever, from time to time, just stop and think about how we get to fellowship and enjoy the unconditional love of our Heavenly Father? And, through the privilege and power of prayer, we get to see and experience Him and His goodness firsthand.
In Acts chapter 12, the Church family that had gathered at Mary’s home got to experience the miracle of prayer firsthand when Peter, the answer to their earnest prayers, came knocking at the door. God had heard their prayers and delivered Peter from the hands of Herod Agrippa, and in God’s desire to protect His family, He took care of Herod for good.
Know today that once you’re in “the family,” your Heavenly Father is watching over you and wants to enjoy being with you, just as much as we “need” to be with Him.