Ordinary Poles

And he put the poles into the rings at the sides of the ark, to bear the ark. Exodus 37:5

The Ark of the Covenant or the Testimony (both titles are fine) was a small rectangle box. You may remember Indiana Jones where Indy unearths it in Egypt, and the Nazis want to harness its power!. Thats Hollywood, but the Ark was anything but ordinary, it was overlaid with pure gold. It had an ornate lid that had Cherubim (angelic beings) stretched over the top that was called the Mercy seat. It was there above the mercy seat the Spirit of God came down and His presence Tabernacled with His people. 

This simple detail in Exodus 37 gives us of a profound spiritual truth. The Ark was special, the gold was precious, yet the ark was built to be carried. Wherever God led His people, His presence would go with them but it required willing hands and ordinary poles to bear it.

The poles were that were slid through the rings were not decorative, not wrapped in gold, but they were essential. Without them, the ark could not be moved as God intended. In the same way, the Lord often chooses to accomplish His purposes through ordinary people who are willing to carry what He entrusts to them. Ministry, service, prayer, these are the “poles” by which we help carry the work and witness of God among His people. There is nothing ornate about vacuuming after service, nothing seemingly precious about taking out the trash, or setting up chairs. Yet, those are essential in the ministry of the Lord, just like the poles that carried the ark. 

So although what you have been entrusted with may not seem extraordinary, it is essential. Whatever you put your hand to in the service of the Lord is holy work. His presence goes with you, just as it did with the ark. Therefore, no act of service is small or insignificant. Each task matters and is important to the life and ministry of the church. God wants to use ordinary men and women to help serve in the ministry, he wants to use you!
“Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong.” 1 Corinthians 1:27

Agape,
Frank 

He Is Familiar With You

“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering who knew what sickness was.” - Isaiah 53:3 csb

I recently learned about a man who had a close relative who needed a kidney transplant. He was an instant match because of his relationship to the patient. I am no doctor, but I am sure this is not an easy procedure, and there can be complications after donating an organ. Yet for the love of his family member, he was willing to endure the pain.

God tells us through the prophet Isaiah that Jesus is a man who knows suffering and who knows sickness. Jesus understands rejection and knows what it is like to be hated. God did not have to send His only Son to experience such things. Jesus did not have to die. Yet God chose to send His beloved Son to know all our pain, all our sickness, and all our rejection. He did this because of the great love with which He has loved us.

Today, if you feel that no one understands your pain, your sickness, or your shame, know this: Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin.” Today rest assured that Jesus Christ is familiar with it all. Not only does He know it intimately, He also sympathizes with you. His desire is that you share your suffering with Him so He can help carry you through it. He has been there before. He knows and understands it all. “Casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.”  1 Peter 5:7

Agape, 
Frank