Exodus 35 -40  Moses returns from the mountain for the second time carrying the stone tablets.  This time the people are waiting to hear him.  He conveys the Word of God, " These are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do."  Foremost, is the keeping of the sabbath day, the sign of their covenant with God .

Then Moses gives the directions for the making of the tabernacle and the tent that covered it.  He told the people to bring contributions according to their "willing hearts".   And " everyone whose heart stirred him and everyone whose spirit moved him came and brought the Lord's contribution for the work.... then all whose hearts moved them, both men and women, came and brought... an offering of gold." ( verses 21-22)   Not only did they bring materials, but they brought their skills... " all the skilled women spun with their hands, and brought what they spun.... and all the women whose heart stirred with a skill spun the goats' hair." ( verses 25-26)

God filled Bezalel with His Spirit and gave him wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and "all craftsmanship".  "He also has put in his heart to teach, both he and Oholiab..." ( verse34)  " He has filled them with skill to perform every work of an engraver and of a designer and of an embroiderer.... and of a weaver, as performers of every work and makers of designs."

Hearts were stirred and became willing to give and to serve.  Skills were given and performed.  The people brought so much that Moses had to issue an order for them to stop. Everything was made exactly as God had commanded. On the first day of the first month of their second year, the tabernacle was erected.  Everything was anointed and consecrated and the work was completed.

Then, the Lord showed His approval by covering the tent with a cloud and filling the tabernacle with His glory.   The cloud by day and the fire by night were visible to the whole house of Israel throughout their journey to the promised land.

The people of Israel, who before had  been obstinate and stiff-necked,  now had willing hearts and stirred spirits.   Moses had prayed, " If now I have found favor in Thy sight, O Lord, I pray let the Lord go along in our midst, even though the people are so obstinate; and do Thous pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Thine own possession." ( 34:9)  The covenant had been renewed. And the people had changed.  Their hearts were changed... transformed.

We can learn several things from this passage.  One, hearts are changed by the prayers of intercession.   Don't we all have this same issue- obstinate hearts?   Unwilling, proud, selfish, and stubborn hearts.  Wanting to fashion God into our own idea of who He should be?  Until someone prays for us, until we become aware of our sinfulness and false ideas, and we repent and bow before Him.   Thankfully, someone prayed for me when my neck was stiff and my heart hardened.  Thankfully, God hears and answers our prayers as we lift up those we know who are in that same condition.  We must pray!!!

Secondly, we can learn about giving.  God commands us to give as our hearts are willing. And then He gives us willing hearts as we look to Him.  Our spirits and hearts are moved by His Spirit in us.  We can bring offerings of silver and gold, or offerings of skills and abilities.  No matter which, they have come from Him in the first place... and He wants us to give cheerfully to the work of the ministry.  To His Work.

If the tabernacle was being constructed today, would we complain at the elaborate materials... pure gold?  Precious stones?  Or would we have willing hearts to give of our best, of that which the Lord had graciously provided?  Do we give that way now?  He wants us to give willingly, generously, joyfully, and according to our hearts leading.  Let us not be obstinate.  Let us not reason, as the Pharisees, but let us listen to our hearts and be stirred by His Spirit, and simply give.

Father, lead us in these truths to do all that You have commanded. To pray and to give.  We pray in the Name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Exodus 34  Moses goes back up the mountain, taking with him 2 stone tablets to replace the ones he broke.  "  And the Lord descended in the cloud and stood there with him as he called upon the name of the Lord."  Here God Himself gives us a clear and precise revelation of Who He is:

" The Lord, the Lord God, 

compassionate and gracious,

slow to anger,

and abounding in lovingkindness and truth:

Who keeps lovingkindness for thousands,

who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin;

yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished,

visiting the iniquity of fathers on their children and

on their grandchildren to the third and fourth generation."

(verses 6-7)

The Lord also tells Moses in this face to face meeting that His Name is "Jealous", that He is a jealous God.  He will not tolerate idolatry.  His covenant with Israel is renewed.  He will go with them, but they are to observe His commands,  make no other covenants with the inhabitants of the land, and to keep the feasts that He has given them.   He will perform miracles, He will drive out the nations,  He will enlarge their borders. He will be their God. 

Moses' face shines as he comes down from the mountain after 40 days.  It shines every time he meets with the Lord.  He puts the veil on after he tells the people what the Lord has said.  He then takes it back off when he goes in to talk to the Lord again. 

Paul talks about this in II Corinthians 3:7-18: 

" But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was, how shall the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory?  For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory.   For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory on account of the glory that surpasses it.  For if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory. 

Having therefore such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech, and are not as Moses, who used to put a veil over his face that the sons of Israel might not look intently at the end of what was fading away. But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted because it is removed in Christ.  But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart. but whenever a man turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.  But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit." 

God meets with Moses and reveals Himself and His glory - so much so that Moses' face shines. 

Paul calls this "shine" - "glory";  but fading glory.   Moses' face is physically transformed while he is in God's Presence, but it begins to fade as he comes out.  The veil covers this fading glory.  It is too much for the people.  They couldn't look at Moses' face.  They wanted the veil.  Paul says that because of hardened minds and hearts, the veil, hiding the glory of God, remains. 

 But, in Christ, the veil is removed! When we turn to the Lord, He removes the veil.  He frees us to see the glory of the Lord! And that Glory never fades!  And more than that, as we look at Him and see His glory, we are transformed into the same glory.  As Moses' face was transformed physically, we are transformed spiritually.  His glory is reflected in us.   " For God, who said, 'Light shall shine out of darkness' is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." (II Cor. 4:6) 

According to II Corinthians 4:4, the one who wants us blinded or veiled from seeing the "light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God,"  is the "god of this world", Satan.   He wants us to keep us unbelieving,  with hardened hearts and minds.   Only as we turn to the Lord, putting our faith in Jesus Christ, are we able to see His Glory.  And only when we see Him, in the fullness of His Glory will we be transformed into His image.... Which takes us back to Exodus 34, where God reveals Himself as - compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and truth. These attributes of God are fruits of His Spirit - His image, His glory, that He pours into us as we behold Him.  As we "live by the Spirit" and "walk by the Spirit".  As we spend time with the Lord, and as we are kept continually filled with His Spirit, we are transformed by His glory into glory - and that glory is seen in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 

Father in heaven, remove every veil!  Take away every hard heart and obstinate mind.  Fill us with Your Spirit and transform us into the image of Christ in glory! Thank You for being compassionate and gracious. Thank You for forgiving all of our sins.  Thank  You for removing the veil through Christ Jesus our Lord.  We love You and seek Your face, to stand in awe before You.  

Be exalted O God! 

Amen

Exodus 33  The Lord tells Moses to take the people on to the promised land, but that He will not go with them, lest He destroy them.   They are "an obstinate people".   The KJV uses the word "stiff-necked".  Stubborn, hard-hearted, sore, or even cruel.   One with a stiff neck is unable to bow his head, refuses to submit and surrender to God's direction.   The Lord is not pleased when we stiffen our necks and refuse to obey His Word or when we harden our hearts against His authority over us.

In a right response to this word, the people of Israel went into mourning.  They took off their "ornaments".  This refers to finery or outfits.  They had been partying before the golden calf, so perhaps this means they took off their party clothes... To never put them on again.   They watched Moses go to the tent of meeting.  " And it came about, whenever Moses went to the tent, that all the people would arise and stand each at the entrance of his tent, and gaze after Moses until he entered the tent."   They watched as the pillar of cloud came down to the entrance of the tent.  They worshipped as the Lord spoke to Moses.  There is a solemnness to this description.  The picture that comes to my mind is of the thousands of people standing in absolute silence... with every eye towards Moses as he goes to meet with the Lord.

There was a change that came over the people.  Their hearts were softening.  Their necks were bending.  They had a more realistic view of God.  They had a greater fear of Him.  But they also had a long way to go, and have still not become the people of God that He wants them to be.

Verses 12-23 record a personal encounter between Moses and the Lord.  Moses, who has met God in a way that no one ever had before, desires more! His prayer is " Now therefore, I pray Thee, if I have found favor in Thy sight, let me know Thy ways, that I may know Thee, so that I may find favor in Thy sight. Consider too, that this nation is Thy people." 
God assures Moses that he has found favor and that He will go with them.  " .. .and I have known you by name."  

Moses asks to see God's glory and God allows him to see His back, but not His face.  "I Myself will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion." 

The Lord is answering Moses' request by showing and telling him more about His ways and His attributes.  Moses has found favor in His sight - because he is seeking to know God's ways and to know God more.   Tozer writes, " What is God like? What kind of God is He?.... When asked in reverence and their answers sought in humility, these are questions that cannot be but pleasing to our Father which art in heaven."  God does want us to want to know Him more!  He has revealed Himself in nature and in His Word and by His Son..... it is His will and purpose that we KNOW Him.  And when we seek to know Him, like Moses, we find favor in His sight.

God reveals several things to Moses that He wants us to know too.
1. He knows us by name.   He knows us individually.  He knows us perfectly, inside and out.
2. He is good. All of God is good and glorious.   As He places Moses in the cleft and passes by,  He identifies Himself saying "all My goodness" will pass before you ( v19) and "while My glory is passing by".  (v22).  
3.  God is sovereign.  He decides who He will be gracious to; and to whom He will show compassion.

The Lord our God reveals His attributes of omniscience, goodness, and goodness.  We need to be like Moses and ask " I pray Thee, show me Thy glory!"   To seek Him with reverence and humility.  To desire Him more than anything or anyone.  He promises that when we seek Him, we will find Him, if we seek with all our hearts.  We also need to make the right response to His revelations -believe and obey.

Oh, Father in Heaven,  give us softened and surrendered hearts.  Make our stiff necks able to bow and remove stubbornness from us.  That we can seek You fully and know You more and more.  Open our eyes and ears.  Fill us with  Your Spirit.   We want to see You,  to see Your glory and Your goodness.
Forgive us for being obstinate.  Change our hearts. Lead us in Your ways.  Help us to obey.  We ask this in Jesus Name.  Amen

Exodus 32  Moses is on the mountain with God and the people become restless.  They want a "god".  An idol that they can worship, that they can see and touch and offer sacrifices to.  So Aaron makes a golden calf.  "... and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play."  To play - verse 18 tells us that they heard singing;  verse 19 tells us that there was dancing; and verse 25 tells us that they were "out of control" or let loose....   They stood at the bottom of the mountain, where fire and smoke, thunder and lightning had shown them the manifest presence of God, where they had heard His voice and sworn a covenant with Him... and partied.  Uncontrolled revelry.  Unashamed sinfulness.  Complete rebellion and idolatry.

God tells Moses that he wants to destroy all the people and build a nation just from him.   But Moses intercedes for the nation. He reminds God of His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  And "the Lord changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people."

Still when Moses goes down and sees what the people are doing, he becomes angry.  He throws down the tablets of stone that God had written on.  He confronts Aaron, who lies to cover up his part in this.
He calls for "Whoever is for the Lord.." to come and the Levites join him.  He sends them out through the people to kill those who are still rebelling.  And 3000 men die at the hand of the Levites.

Moses asks for the Lord to forgive the people, or to blot his own name out of His book.  " And the Lord said to Moses, Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book."  Moses is to lead, but he cannot dictate to God what He will do.

What can we learn from this?  What does the Shepherd say to us?

Israel was in the Presence of God and did not grasp Who He is.  As Tozer writes, 

" Left to ourselves we tend  immediately to reduce God to manageable terms.  We want to get Him where we can use Him, or at least know where He is when we need Him. We want a God we can in some measure control. We need the feeling of security that comes from knowing what God is like, and what He is like is of course a composite of all the religious pictures we have seen, all the best people we have known or heard about, and all the sublime ideas we have entertained."  

 They reduced God to a calf of metal.  But, are we any different?  

Again Tozer says, " If all this sounds strange to modern ears, it is only because we have for a full half century ( and more)  taken God for granted. The glory of God had not been revealed to this generation of men."   The incomprehensible and unapproachable God - has been reduced to a likeness of mythology.   When the reality is far above anything our minds can grasp!
Tozer quotes Richard Rolle, saying " Verily God is of infinite greatness, more than we can think;... unknowable by created things; and can never be comprehended by us as He is in Himself. "
Only in Jesus Christ, through faith, can we know the unknowable.... He has revealed Himself to those who believe.  He gives us His own Holy Spirit so that we can enter into His Presence.  We have come closer to Him than the Israelites at the foot of the mountain, for He dwells in us through Christ .
So, do we also lose control, sing and dance, party...and reduce Him to our own terms?  Are we more like the Israelites than we realize?   Heaven forbid!  Let us be still and know Him... in all His revealed glory - the self-existent, self sufficient, eternal God; infinite, immutable, omniscient, omnipotent, wise, transcendent, faithful, good, just, merciful, gracious, holy, sovereign God. 

The second thing that we can learn from this situation is - intercession is vital and real and necessary!
Moses pleaded with God and God changed His mind.  That is amazing!  Did God want to change His mind anyway?  He knew He would... but He waited on Moses to intercede.   He desires us to be intercessors for those who are living in sin and rebellion.  He will hear our pleas and He will answer those prayers.  Sin always results in the wrath of God, for God hates sin.  But, He will save the sinner, He will forgive those who repent, who turn back to Him.  Our prayers of intercession are vital in that process.   May our hearts be as tender as Moses' for the sake of God's people.

The third thing I hear from this passage is that every man must make a choice.  The Levites chose to be on the Lord's side.  They became a select group that would be ordained to serve in the tabernacle, set apart for the Lord.  Those who chose to keep rebelling were destroyed.   The psalmist wrote, " The Lord keeps all who love Him; but all the wicked He will destroy." ( Psalm 145:20)  God is perfectly just.  He gives us every opportunity to repent and obey.  He gives us all we need to stand in Him.  But if we refuse, we will be destroyed. An everlasting state of destruction.  We must take that seriously.

The final thing that I see in this passage is that, like Moses, we cannot substitute ourselves for others.  Only Jesus could do that.  We cannot manipulated God into saving our loved ones.. even though our hearts break for them, even though we wish we could make the choices for them.  Each person  must stand before God and give account for his or her own decisions.  Each must choose to be either in the kingdom of darkness or the kingdom of Light.

Father in heaven,  You are holy and far above our understanding in every way.  We bless and praise You for Who You are.  Of infinite power and of infinite mercy, You bring us into Your Kingdom by the work of the cross of Jesus Christ.  Oh how we thank You.  Bring us fully into Your Kingdom, Lord.  May we be filled with the knowledge of Your will, in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that we can be worthy of Your calling, so that we can please You and bear fruit and increase in our knowledge of You.  We ask that You strengthen us with Your power, according to Your glorious might, to the attaining of steadfastness and patience.  And we give You thanks for it is You, Father Who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.
Father, we ask that You would forgive the sins of our loved ones, that You would open their eyes and hearts to receive the redemption purchased by the blood of our dear Savior.  Turn their thoughts and hearts back to You.  We ask this in the Name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Exodus 31:12-18  Four times in these 7 verses God commands Israel to observe His sabbaths.

v13 Observe My Sabbaths - for this is a sign between Me and you;  so that you can know that the Lord sanctifies you
v14 Observe the Sabbath - for it is holy to you; it is a matter of life and death; it is a matter of community
v15 Observe the sabbath - with complete rest; no work is to be done;
v16 Observe the sabbath- to celebrate an ongoing covenant with God
v17 Observe the sabbath - as an eternal sign between Israel and God;  for it is a copy of the pattern that God Himself set during creation.

God comes again to this commandment, a re-emphasis on this one particular requirement of the Law; a final reminder to Moses before He hands over the stone tablets.  Why?
Why not a reminder to have only one God?
Why not a reminder to love?
Why is such emphasis put on the observation of a day of rest?

Genesis 1:31- 2:3  " And God saw all that He had made and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts; And by the seventh day God completed His work which he had done; and he rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made."

God sanctified the seventh day, He set it apart and consecrated it as something holy.  In keeping this day separate from the everyday, by ceasing from work, the people of Israel would honor the covenant that they had made with God.  It would be a sign that they were still "in it" with Him.  A sign that they were still "set apart" or sanctified too.   It was an outward acknowledgement of an inward commitment to live in covenant relationship with the Holy One.  It was a  precious gift....and  was to be celebrated as such.

I know that some believe that we should still observe the sabbath.  I know the reasoning for both sides of the argument.  I know also that we are no longer under the Law.  And I know that Hebrews teaches us that Jesus IS our sabbath rest.  That even this sacred day points to Him. I know that everything that Moses received on the mountain was just a "copy and shadow of the heavenly things.." ( Hebrews 8:4)

So, is it safe to say that when we enter into covenant with Jesus,  when we "rest" in His Work, the work of redemption that He accomplished for us by His death on the cross, that we are observing the "sabbath" in a new way? We have entered into an eternal sabbath... an eternal rest, which is holy and blessed, sanctified by God.  We cease from our labors - for we cannot add to anything that Christ alone has done.  Just as we cannot add to God's work of creation... we cannot add to Christ's work of redemption.  We must rest in it.  Observe it. Keep it holy. Know that it is the Lord that sanctifies us as we rest in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Oh Father in heaven, You are Holy and all Your ways are holy!  We cannot accomplish the work of sanctification by our own self-efforts.  We come to the One Who makes us stop our labor and struggling... and rest in the True Sabbath, our Lord Jesus Christ.  Open our eyes to see and our ears to hear, Lord of the Sabbath.  Fill our hearts with Truth.  Let Your Word be a lamp to our feet and a light to our paths.  We need You and You alone. We are weary in our own labors... we come to You, Whose yoke is easy and burden is light. Amen.

Exodus 31  The Lord gave Moses all the particulars for the tent of meeting and everything in it and involved with it.  Then He appointed men, whom He would fill with His Spirit, to do the craftsmanship,  to complete the work.   Bezalel, from the tribe of Judah, and Oholiab, from the tribe of Dan were chosen, along with others.  " And I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, to make artistic designs, for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze....  and in the hearts of all who are skillful I have put skill, that they may make all that I have commanded you;" Verses 3-6

Once again, God provided for what He commanded.  That was true in the provision of all the materials needed for the building of the tent of meeting.  And it is again true in the equipping of the men with skill to accomplish the work.   This is the way God works.  

Ephesians 4:11 - 13 "And He gave some as apostles and some as prophets, and some as evangelists and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service to the building up of the body of Christ; until we attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ." 

In the Old Testament, the Lord equipped men to craft a physical structure for the service of God. A place where God would meet with His people. Where He would dwell among them.
In the New Testament, He equips men to craft, as it were, a spiritual body, the Church, the Body of Christ, for the service of God.  A place... but more than that... a family, a people, a kingdom, a body - where Jesus Christ is PRESENT. Wholly and fully completely dwelling in us.

It is the same Spirit of God Who fills particular men (and women) for particular functions, for the completion of His Design.  It was true then and it is true now.... God provides to each of us "a measure of faith" ( Romans 12:3) and "gifts that differ according to the grace given to us" ( v5) - to serve Him.  To be His Temple, where He dwells with us and in us, in holiness and glory and power.  This is His design for the church.

The men in the OT had to yield to the filling of the Holy Spirit.  They had to surrender their bodies and do the work that God, Himself chose and  enabled them to do.   We, likewise, must present our bodies, "living and holy sacrifices, acceptable to God"  for  the service He chooses for us.   We must allow Him to "transform us by the renewing of our mind" - allow Him to renovate our thinking - refashion us into His pattern instead of the world's pattern.  Only then can we discern and know what is pleasing to Him, acceptable, good, perfect - His will.  ( Romans 12)

Oh Father , help us to grasp this and to surrender ourselves completely to You. For all that You choose for us, for all that You equip us to do.  Have Your own way, Lord God.  Today and forever.
In the Name of Jesus only do we plead.  Amen.

Exodus 30  Moses receives detailed instructions for every part of the tent of meeting,  every piece of furniture, everything that will be used in ministry by the priests and every aspect of "worship".

Verses 1-10 describe and altar of incense.  It would stand inside the curtain, but outside of the veil that separated the ark and mercy seat.  Every morning and every evening fragrant incense was to be burned.  Nothing else would ever be presented on that table.  Verses34-38 give the instructions for making the incense.  The spices used are stacte, onycha and galbanum, with pure frankincense.  Never heard of the first 3, but we recognize the last ingredient.   God instructs Moses that this particular incense could never be used by anyone else.  It was to be unique, separate, holy to the Lord.   "There shall be perpetual incense before the Lord though out your generations."  

(A "fragrant incense" that continually burns before the Lord..... isn't it interesting that God likes smells?   The soothing aroma of burnt mutton... and the fragrant aroma of spices.... )

Revelation 5: 8 " And when He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints."  And, Revelation 8:3-4  " And another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, that he might add it to the prayers of the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.  And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel's hand. "    Here we are given a picture of the original... of which Moses' was a copy.   Here we learn that the incense is connected to prayers of the saints.

David wrote in Psalm 141: 2 " May my prayer be counted as incense before Thee; The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering."   David's prayer is for himself,  for sanctification and protection.
He offers it up as a fragrant incense before God.  Pleasing to the Lord.   And it is pleasing to Him when we offer such a prayer from our hearts.  It is an aroma that He desires. 

One more thought regarding this subject, in II Corinthians 2:14-16  " But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma of death, to the other an aroma from life to life..."

Everything that God gave to Moses for the tabernacle, points to Christ.  The incense with its fragrant aroma filled the tent where God met with His people.  The fragrant aroma of our prayers are offered before the throne of God in Heaven .  The knowledge of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and Coming King is a sweet fragrance of life to those who call upon Him and are saved.

Father in heaven, we call to You and we ask that You would hear our prayers and that they would be a  beautiful and pleasing aroma, like incense before You.   We present our bodies, a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to You,  in spiritual service, in worship to You, our merciful God.   Like David, we ask that You set a guard over our mouths.  That our words would be sweet and filled with grace and love through Jesus, our King.   We ask that You would keep our hearts from all evil and wickedness.  Deliver us from evil, Lord.  From all those in this world who want us to follow their deeds.  Do not lead us into temptation... and as David said, " do not let me eat of their delicacies."  Instead, Lord, let us hear the reproof from those who are righteous, those who are godly.  "Do not let my head refuse it."  Our eyes are on You, Lord God.  We take refuge in You. Teach us to walk in Your ways. Make us fragrant aromas in this world of rotting, sin filled lives.
I ask this in Your Name, Jesus... the Lily of the Valley, the Bright and Morning star, the Fairest of ten thousand... beautiful beyond description...our all in all,
Amen