What would you consider to be the most important thing in your life, the center of your being, and the core of your existence? Is it God? God wants to be the center of your life. Does this make God conceited or self-centered? Some may look at it that way, but God knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows what is best for us. He knows that having Him at the center of our lives is what is absolutely best for us. Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matt. 6:33). Jesus taught that God wants to care for us, protect us, and help us; but to do that we must fully submit to His will and “seek” Him first in our lives. Solomon’s great experiment in the book of Ecclesiastes proved the same conclusion. He ended that great book by saying, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all” (Eccl. 12:13. God created man for the purpose of making Him the center of their lives, and when man fails to do so, we cheat ourselves of the great blessings He provides for those He loves so much.
The Israelites in the wilderness are a great example to look back to regarding this issue. God brought them through the Red Sea and then told them, “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord who heals you” (Ex. 15:26). When they arrived at Sinai, God told them, “if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people” (Ex. 19:5). After some major setbacks, the Israelites began to get it. You can imagine families working happily and diligently together as they prepare the Tabernacle and the furnishings for it. Everyone was centered on serving God. Then when the Tabernacle was finished, and in Numbers chapter 2 the instructions for the Israelite camp were given, we see where the Tabernacle was to be located. God was at the center of their very lives. If we could stand on a mountain overlooking the Israelite camp, what would we see? We would see all of the Israelite tribes encamped around the Tabernacle of God which would be located in the very center of the camp. It was symbolic. Just like God was dwelling in the center of His people in the Tabernacle, God was to dwell at the very center of every individual Israelite’s being.
We must remember that the way the Israelites were to live, obey, and dedicate themselves to God in the wilderness was a type or foreshadowing of how we should all live out our Christian lives. Paul spoke of their experiences and said, “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come” (1 Cor. 10:11). God loves us! He wants us to love Him, trust Him, and completely dedicate our lives to Him. But, living life for God only when it is convenient for us will not do. God will not settle for that, nor should a holy and loving God have to. The cross of Christ is the way God manifested His awesome love and dedication for us (1 John 4:9,10). Obeying God and making Him the central focus of our lives, our families, and our congregation is how we manifest our love and appreciation for Him. Let’s all ask ourselves: is God at the very center of my life and my being? -Ed
