Familiar Ground?

Then he said, "Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground."
And the commander of the LORD's army said to Joshua, "Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so.
(Exodus 3:5 / Joshua 5:15 – ESV)

Both of these scenarios were transformational encounters, we could say, but they were for corporate movement. God calls us as individuals for our corporate mission as well as our personal holiness. We see that we are not holy and not worthy to lead but God cleanses us and equips us to do what He wants us to do. God is still in that business today. That is why we have holy ground moments, because God is not trying to give us a thrill, but to lead us on.

God was near, in a special way for a special purpose. We may not ever have a burning bush or mountaintop moment, but God will still expose us to His burning light that He might change us and we might change our world – Ephesians 5:13-15 – God was revealing something about Himself and about us – we must know our true state. He doesn’t deliver us from bondage without us first understanding our own weakness to deliver ourselves. God was speaking to them then and He speaks to us now by His written and preached word. This ground is also holy.

When God is working something is changing and we have to start to change to get it. Moses and Joshua had to take off their shoes. This is not a ritual to be performed in approaching God. Rather the shoes represent protection for the sensitive flesh. Holy ground is where no flesh shall glory in the presence of God (1 Corinthians 1:29). It is also the place where sins are exposed, for God sees our hearts. It is taking away self-sufficiency, which is blasphemy before the Lord. The bible talks about the beautiful feet of those whose are wearing the gospel of peace as their shoes.

We must continue to set ourselves apart for God’s work as He is working in us (Leviticus 20:7-8 / Philippians 2:12-13). We can become too familiar with God – consider Moses and the rock (Numbers 20:10-12). Even if God has called us, failure to sanctify ourselves in His sight will lead to consequences. If we fail to take off our shoes when we know He wants to do a work in us, we will fail to see Him work, and we will become bitter against God and others as we become envious of what we see elsewhere when we could have seen that in ourselves if we would continue to sanctify Him in out hearts (Hebrews 12:14-15). Moses did sanctify himself to deliver the people out of Egypt but it took years. Don’t give up on God, continue to sanctify Him in you heart and He will deliver you.

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©