Christian Living
It is always our heart desire that God should do something special and wonderful with and in our lives. It is actually a good desire as God Himself is willing to do something special with everyone's life. But a clear fact is that it is never God's fault that good things that He intends to do with and in our lives are not springing forth; the fault lies on us. We tend to hold on to unnecessary and worthless things that serve as elements of delay to what God wants to do with our lives. One and the most prominent of these is the ornament in our hands.
Exodus 33:5;
For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the children of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. I could come up into your midst in one moment and consume you. Now therefore, take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you.”
When the term 'ornaments' comes on board, it is often used for things that are precious, valuable and that we cherish so much. Things like gold, silver, bronze, et all cannot be overlooked in this regard. These are things that so many people spend huge amount of money to get because they seem precious and valuable. And those who have any of the aforementioned will cherish and do everything possible to keep it diligently and adequately.
However, I want to say that the word 'ornament' is not limited to gold, silver and all other decorating objects, it is anything that we cherish so much. It is a thing that you find it hard to let go. Something that seems to have gripped your attention so much that nothing can take it away from you. In a simple term, ornaments are things that seem to have taken the place of God in our lives.
If we consider the ornaments God was referring to in that very Bible verse, we'll discover that these are gold, silver, and jewelries that the Israelites collected from the Egyptians at the genesis of their exile. It was these ornaments that were carved into a golden image to which they worshiped in place of God. Most of the time, we trace idolatry of children of Israel to this particular event, but a clear fact is that this act has been in them long before they even left Egypt. It appeared to me that they had already fell in love with the gold, silver and jewelries of the Egyptians instead of God before they left Egypt. That is the more reason why they never wanted to leave Egypt. And when they compulsorily had to leave, they couldn't leave until they INQUIRE and collect these things. They struggled to obey God but they didn't struggle to collect these articles. It looked as if they felt they can't survive without these precious things. These things have grapped their attention that they couldn't obey God unless they have them. They never consider it that God could provide better things for them. These articles had already taken the place of God in their hearts! They have been worshipping these articles in their heart silently before its eventual manifestation. It's only that God got angry with them when they put it into practice. God had to ask them to take away these ornaments or else He'll consume them.
May I let you know that the only thing that is debaring the move of God in your life is that golden image in your hand. You're probably wondering 'golden image in my hand?'. Yes, there is a golden image in your hand.
The golden image is not necessarily a physically made idol, it is anything that you worship instead of God. Anything that takes the place of God in your life.
I've seen many cases where people have turned even their skin into a golden image they worship. You ask me how? The last time the holy spirit ministered to your pastor that the whole congregation roll on the ground for God, do you remember what came to your mind? My skin! My skin is sensitive to dust.... it could lead to rashes on my skin..oh, i'm on white.. It'll get stained....pastor should have told us this beforehand so that i wouldn't have put on my best cloth...et all. What that implies is that you cherish your skin and cloth more than God. You spend thousands of money to maintain your skin monthly, but you find it so difficult to replace your torn Bible for the past 6 months. You have exulted your skin above every other thing, God inclusive. Your skin is your ornament.
The ornament of some people is money. You are now so captured by the desire to have money that God is only a second thing in your life. You now love and cherish money more than God. Do you remember you opted to go for that business trip when it clashed with the time you were supposed to be in the presence of God. Do you remember your excuse? 'I can always come back to God, but this business is an opportunity. It's once in a life time.' In essence, God is a second fiddle to you. Your business is your priority. That's your golden idol.
Do you know that you used to speak to God first in the morning to commit your ways into His hand before you met that beautiful young lady. And since you met her, your morning devotion has been going down the drain. You now speak to her first; she's taken the place of God! She's your ornament.
You know before that gentle man came into your life, you do tell God everything, but now you no longer tell God but him. He's taken the place of God in your life. He is your ornament.
I think you now get a clear insight on what God meant by these ornaments. It could be your car, cloth, house, children, wife, e.t.c. Anything that takes the place of God in your life. Anything you seem to have exulted above God is an ornament. Anything you seem to worship directly or indirectly in place of God is the ornament I'm talking about. It is a form of idol in disguise. God is demanding that you relief them of their posts and enthrone Him as the king in your life.
You can't be God's priority when He is an alternative to you. Make God the priority and then He'll now decide what to do with your life as the king therein. Surrender everything at His feet this very moment and promise not to worship them again in your heart nor physically. Take off your ornaments and watch how your life will be better without them.
God told the children of Israel specifically to go up to a land flowing with milk and honey, but He will not go with them. This was because they still had these ornaments in their custody. Excuse me, truly the land might be flowing with milk and honey, but it takes the presence of God to harness it.
I would like you to bear in mind that God will not journey with you until you leave off those ornaments in your hand otherwise you will be consumed in the way. And no matter how the land you are flows with milk and honey, you can't have access to it without the presence of God. It is therefore to your own benefit that you should yield to the call of God this moment. He is saying 'so now put off your ornaments'. When did God says you should put it off? NOW! Not tomorrow, not even the coming minute but NOW! The next minute might be too late.
The children of Israel yielded to the demand of God, they put off their ornaments. I also want to emphasize that before they stripped themselves of their ornaments, the scripture made us to understand that they mourned. In other words, they were grieved in their spirit. They mourn over their sin and repented. When they did this, a notable and unforgettable event that followed was that pillar of cloud descended. In other words, God Himself descended into their midst through the pillar of cloud. The pillar did not only descended, they saw it. They saw God! Wonderful!
Will you not also follow the suit of the Israelites by mourning and stripping off your ornaments that you may see God in all your endeavours?
May I let you know that that your business needs nothing but the presence of God. Let me inform you that you only need to see God, and everything will turn around for good in your life. What is that problem or challenge that seems unsurmountable in your life, if God could only descend for you to see Him, it will only result into testimony.
God is willing to reveal Himself to you in all your ways, only that you have to put off your ornaments first.
Harken to God's voice today and take off your ornaments and experience His divine presence in all ramifications.
Shallom!
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