March 29 - Joshua 18:1

Now that the land was under Israelite control,

the entire Israelite assembly gathered

at Shiloh and set up the Tabernacle.

Joshua 18:1

Shiloh was the first semi-permanent home for the tabernacle. Therefore, for about 300 years, it was the spiritual capital of Israel. Centrally located, it was accessible by all in the promised land.

And yet, just because you have a "church building" and a holy place to return to every once in a while, doesn't mean you're holy.

Listen to God's judgment on Shiloh -- and eventually Jerusalem -- in Jeremiah 7:

1 The LORD gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, 2 "Go to the entrance of the LORD's Temple ... 4 but do not be fooled by those who repeatedly promise your safety because the Temple of the LORD is here. 5 I will be merciful only if you stop your wicked thoughts and deeds ... 8 "'Do you think that because the Temple is here you will never suffer? Don't fool yourselves! 12 "'Go to the place at Shiloh where I once put the Tabernacle to honor my name. See what I did there because of all the wickedness of my people, the Israelites. 13 While you were doing these wicked things, says the LORD, I spoke to you about it repeatedly, but you would not listen. I called out to you, but you refused to answer. 14 So just as I destroyed Shiloh, I will now destroy this Temple that was built to honor my name, this Temple that you trust for help ...

It's not the building that protects us. It's not the rituals that save us. It's our faith. And -- as it suggests here and in the New Testament book of James -- sometimes our deeds reflect our faith.

In Christ's Love,

a guy who wants his deeds

to reflect an ever-growing faith