Not about me

I made an attempt yesterday to get back on track with the Bible reading plan. There's no way I'll finish in a year, but that's ok; who decided that reading the Word in a year was such a big deal anyway? I'm still wrestling through Exodus, sprinkled with a little Psalms, and ending with early church history in Acts. So far, Exodus is tough. I mean, why in the world did Moses find it necessary to write down three gazillion little details about how to construct the tabernacle and when to do what where and why? What does this have to do with me and my salvation?

And then I was reminded by the loving husband God has blessed me with: it's not about me. The Bible was not written so that me, myself, and I might get something out of it. It was written to tell a beautiful love story about how a perfect God sent His only Son to pay the penalty of the sins of an evil world, so that the chosen may return the glory to the One who deserves it. Just because I don't see a particular relevance of which altar shall be cast in bronze and which in gold doesn't mean that the Scripture is irrelevant and that I shouldn't read it -- although that is an easier response for me than wrestling through it. I think, after some reflection, that the beauty and glory is in the details. Why would someone take the time to specify detailed measurements and materials? To show that intricacy is important, beautiful, necessary. If an all-powerful mighty God takes the time to order His house of worship in the finest detail, how much more so does He ordain our lives with a similar level of care and attention, and even beauty?

And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him for my priesthood. -Exodus 28:2-3 (ESV)

Even the finest details of Aarons robes were for God's glory, shown through skill and beauty. I am so thankful that hundreds and hundreds of years later He works the same beauty and detail into my own life for His glory and my good. Wow. How's that for a good start to the week?