No matter what their level of sports they compete in, athletes crave the glory of winning a championship. They all want to experience the “high” of that moment, the fame, the ticker tape falling on their shoulders and the roar of the fans. While many athletes crave the glory of being a champion, most forget to consider what that actually entails. No doubt, it takes thousands of hours, many years and a continual focus on the goal.

In Exodus 25:8, God told the Israelites that He wanted to dwell with them, and He gave Moses instructions on building His tabernacle. In Exodus 35-39, the people carried out the work just as Moses commanded. They constructed the necessary components: the ark, table, lampstand, altar of incense, altar of burnt offering, basin, courtyard, utensils and priestly garments. They worked continuously until the job was finished. Day in and day out they experienced the minutiae (trivial details) of obedience. Every decision counted; every effort was important. And while the people worked tirelessly, their work was so that they would see God’s glory.

Our athletic life can help us picture our spiritual life. Just as we want be champions athletically, our goal as Christians is to be champions spiritually. We crave the “mountain top” experience with God where we experience something big, but are we doing the minutiae of obedience to get there? The Israelites did the mundane, but the reward was the very glory of God dwelling among them!