Holy Ground

“Then said the Lord to him [Moses], Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground.”  (Acts 7:33)

         I’ve seen preachers take off their shoes before they preached, the idea being that behind the pulpit, they were standing on holy ground. I suppose this could indicate either humility or pride. I do know that when God told Moses to remove his sandals, Moses was not standing behind a pulpit; he was standing in the presence of God.

When we are truly in the presence of God, we feel that anything holding us to this earth is unnecessary baggage, even shoes. Things we thought so necessary, suddenly become superfluous. People we clung to lose their overwhelming influence. And plans and goals outside the will of God fade into oblivion. Nothing or no one can match the sheer joy of being in the presence of God and knowing He initiated the encounter.  

And know this, dear readers: Wherever God condescends to meet with you is holy ground, whether it is behind a pulpit, on the backside of a desert, on your knees…or sitting in a rocking chair with a cup of tea, feasting on the Word of God.

    “…and the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known.”