Bethel and Ai

Genesis 12:8 says that Abraham pitched his tents between Bethel and Ai. Oswald Chambers interprets Bethel as symbolic of fellowship with God. Bethel means "House of God". Ai is the world. Thus Abraham lived between God and the world, not in full-time fellowship (worship), but in daily quiet time spent at the altar. So we cannot stay on the mountain top full-time, but must "go and make disciples" among the sinners, living among them and being salt, shaken out onto the world.

Chambers writes,

"The lasting value of our public service for God is measured by the depth of the intimacy of our private times of fellowship and oneness with Him."

This is why I am largely ineffective as a preacher or teacher: my private time with God is not a daily matter, nor is it very intimate. My devotion consists, at present, entirely of reading a passage (or sometimes just a verse, as today), reading a devotional (such as My Utmost for His Highest, as today), and writing in this blog or some other. Often I skip prayers altogether. Often I do not even meditate, but simply start writing, since I haven't set aside time but am borrowing it from some other claimant. Often I do not even open the Bible, but just look at the verse online. I have not read the entire Bible through in one year, but only once listened to it on audio CD.

So or my new key verse this year I have chosen John 12:32: "And I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men to myself." Lifting up Jesus will be my only effort this year. And this begins with worship. Worship is nothing if it is not to lift up and praise Jesus. Corporate worship is one thing. But private devotionals ought to include private worship in addition to meditating on the word or simply writing down my thoughts. To lift up Jesus in my private devotions is to draw all men to Him. Perhaps he will use me to draw them to him, since I am lifting him up privately. Surely I must also preach and teach in order to literally lift up his Name, since He has commanded it.

My personal relationship, daily fellowship, worship, devotions must precede my public service, if Chambers is right. I will never be more spiritually valuable to others than Jesus is valuable to me. Lord, help me to sell all that I have and buy the Best, to invest my best in you, my most precious time spend in your presence. Lord, help me to move a little closer to Bethel, and yet reach out more to Ai, to love the world AS YOU DO, but to love you with all my heart, all my soul, all my strength. In 2009, Lord, let me lift up Jesus, even if I do nothing else. Amen.