Some days, I will get an image or impression from the Lord not knowing what He is saying to me at the time. Yesterday, I saw a large porch, the kind older homes had that was large enough for families to gather without an agenda and interact with those who passed by. The image offered me a good and stable feeling.

This morning, I read about Moses going to the top of the mountain with the elders, and then I came upon the following verse. As Moses and the elders climbed the mountain, “There they saw the God of Israel” (Exodus 24:10).   They were there by God’s invitation, not by their assumption. The next verse states, “And though these nobles of Israel gazed upon God, he did not destroy them. In fact, they ate a covenant meal, eating and drinking in his presence!” (vs. 11). 

The elders of Israel were invited to sit before the God of all worlds to eat and drink in His presence. That Old Testament image was a foretaste of what was coming when Jesus rose from the dead and offered us something new – porch time as His friends.

I tried to imagine what it would be like if the Lord invited me to a porch-like experience. I would never want to become so casual in my relationship with Jesus that I would forget the One inviting me to sit with Him was the God who created the universe by just speaking it into existence. I would still be looking over my shoulder from time to time to gaze upon Him in wonder as I ate and drank in His presence.

Our relationship with Jesus must include both majesty and familiarity. Without those two elements in place and functioning, we will miss what is needed to have a healthy relationship with Him and those who sit with us on the porch.