8 October Numbers 2

Making God the Centre

Numbers 2:1-2 (NIV) “The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: “The Israelites are to camp around the tent of meeting some distance from it, each of them under their standard and holding the banners of their family.”

God told Moses they would camp with their clan and family whenever they set up camp, but everyone should face the tent of meeting. Moses would meet with God and pray for the people in this tent. The tent of meeting symbolised God’s presence among His people, and everything in the camp was arranged to focus on that presence, placing God at the centre of the community. It was the ‘church’ during the Old Testament period.

Notably God wants to be the most essential part of your life. He doesn’t want to be on the sidelines or just a tiny part of your life. The God who created and loves you wants to be at the centre of your heart and the foundation of everything you do. Genesis 17:1b (AMP) “Walk [habitually] before Me [with integrity, knowing that you are always in My presence], and be blameless and complete [in obedience to Me]”.

Let Jesus be the centre of your marriage, family, work, health, decisions about spending your time and money, and everything else. A. W. Tozer wrote that “the goal of every Christian should be to live in a state of unbroken worship,” and the God-cantered (or Christ-cantered) person finds this a delightful goal. This is confirmed again by Proverbs 3:6 (TLB) “In everything you do, put God first, and He will direct you and crown your efforts with success”

In conclusion, just as God instructed the Israelites to arrange their camp around the tent of meeting, with everything centred on His presence, we, too, are called to make God the centre of our lives. This means placing Him at the heart of every aspect, our relationships, work, decisions, and even thoughts. By doing so, we align ourselves with His will and experience the fullness of His guidance and blessings. Proverbs 3:6 reminds us that when we put God first in everything, He will lead us and bless our efforts with success. Like A.W. Tozer suggested, let us strive to live in a state of unbroken worship, where God is always at the centre, guiding and sustaining us.