Between Bethel and Ai

When Abraham first entered the land of Canaan, he pitched his tent between Bethel on the west and Ai on the east.  There he built an altar and called on the name of the Lord (Gen. 12:8).  Now the name "Bethel" means house of God, and the name "Ai" means heap of ruins.

I think that for most of us entering the Way of Jesus, that is exactly where we are living-- halfway between the house of God and the heap of ruins that is/was our way of life before we met Jesus.  We tend to face the heap of ruins on a daily basis -- our own thoughts, our own judgments, our own ways of solving problems -- even though we know that none of these things really work.  It's just so hard to turn our back on Ai and face Bethel when we know Ai so well and are so unfamiliar with the House of God.

The image of Abraham camped between these two cities and building an altar has helped me tremendously in turning my back on Ai, the heap of ruins.  Abraham had already left his father's house and everything that was familiar to him, but he had not yet learned to fully live in the House of God, so he was still emotionally reliant on his old way of life.  He still had a long way to go to reach Bethel. 

We all make judgments about other people, but our thoughts are not God's thoughts.  Since we don't know God's thoughts, we tend to hold fast to our own.  But recently, God has begun to show me that my own judgments are a "heap of ruins."  I must learn to turn my back on my thoughts and embrace His.  Building an altar on which my judgments can be burnt/ sacrificed is a good beginning.  And continually facing the House of God to learn His thoughts is another.

Recently a friend wrote a beautiful blog about waiting -- giving up her own way of solving problems and waiting for the Spirit of God to enter the situation of her concern.  Now that is turning your back on a heap of ruins and facing the House of God, waiting to see what He will do instead of trying one thing after another.  His ways are not our ways, but until we begin to see our ways as "a heap of ruins," we are not yet ready to embrace His ways.