Holy Ground

Peyton Johnston

June 3rd, 2018

Exodus 3:5; Joshua 5:15; Psalm 24:3-4

Though it is hard to imagine, Moses and Joshua both lived in a time long before Uber and online shopping were even a possibility. (The horror!) So their mode of transportation and fashion choices were pretty limited. Their typical go-to’s were walking to their destinations while sporting some sturdy sandals. And I would think it’s safe to say that said sandals got pretty worn out and grimy.

So when they found themselves in the presence of the Lord, it’s no wonder that they were instructed to remove their shoes – the dirtiest part of them. See, God is so perfectly pure and spotless that the filth they carried could not possibly be permitted to follow them onto such holy ground.

Now when you enter into the presence of God, the chances are slim that you’ll hear His voice telling you to kick off your sneakers first. But it is likely that you’ll feel an overwhelming need to take off some of the dirt you’ve gathered throughout the week in your spirit. Just like shoes gather all the dust and muck from the places we walk on, so do our minds, hearts, and eyes inevitably pick up the unclean things we are exposed to day to day. But before you can truly enter into His holy atmosphere, He’s going to require clean hands and a pure heart.

You can’t expect to set foot on holy ground without having to alter yourself first. You can’t approach God without surrender and reverence. And you can’t receive from Him without first removing from yourself. While God does love the sinner, He also very much hates the sin. He wants us to come as we are – with every flaw and mistake in hand. But once we are at His feet, the HOLY Spirit compels us to get rid of whatever gross habits, thoughts, or attitudes we have accumulated. It’s the natural reaction we have when we our sin​ful​ spirits are juxtaposed with the sin​less​ Spirit.

But sometimes it’s something so small and seemingly insignificant that we feel God convicting us of that we try to convince ourselves it’s alright to hold on to it. But think of it this way: what if Moses and Joshua had deemed removing their shoes unnecessary? They would have not only disrespected the Lord, but they would have also let a prideful preference get in the way of letting God use them for the astounding miracles He had planned. Don’t let the anything in your life become so attached to you that you can’t lay it at the Master’s feet if He asks you to. Your unwillingness to obey in the little things will undoubtedly result in God choosing to use someone else for the big things.

Pray: ​“This world is overrun with things that constantly taint my mind and corrupt my heart. But Lord I know that if I want to be close to You, I have to cleanse myself through repentance. Help me to recognize all things unholy inside of me so that I can take them off and fully step into Your holy presence with clean hands and a pure heart.”