Daily Routines

[Aaron] must burn [incense] every morning when he tends the lamps. —Exodus 30:7

The incense in Exodus 30 speaks of the praise and prayers of a redeemed people ascending to God. It was to be offered every morning and night.

Why did it matter to God if the priests missed a day? Because He was pursuing a relationship with His people. And He knew that required consistent, daily communication.

There were other regular routines in the tabernacle. The oil lamps had to be kept burning, sacrifices had to be made, and the priests had to be cleansed. Every morning, every evening, day in, day out. Eventually the Israelites lost sight of the purpose behind the routines—to walk in union and communion with God. But the routines were still right. They were established by God. And they were necessary to sustain a relationship with Him.

Of course, there’s always a danger that a quiet time or any other spiritual discipline can deteriorate into a lifeless routine. But I’ve discovered it’s much easier to breathe life back into a dead routine than to get life where there’s no routine at all.

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A Place of Quiet Rest: Finding Intimacy with God through a Daily Devotional Life ©2000 Nancy Leigh DeMoss

Scripture taken from The CSB