Break Free and Live in TruthSample

Take Off Your Sandals

When I read the account of Moses and the burning bush, I wondered about God’s unusual request to have Moses remove his sandals before coming any closer. Meditating on this thought, I was reminded of the beginning of my healing journey.

By most standards, I was living the American dream: married to a loving husband, the mother of two great kids, a beautiful home and terrific friends. I was even living my own personal dream of being a stay-at-home mom while caring for my family. Even though I had all these wonderful things going on in my life, I still felt like something was missing.

I was raised in the church and worshiped on Sundays, but I didn’t start seeking God with all my heart until my mid-thirties. By age 36, my relationship with God grew more intentional. I was like a sponge, soaking up every drop of teaching I could gather from Bible studies and sermon messages. I was even getting up extra early in the morning to spend time alone with God, uninterrupted.

I was amazed at how relevant the Bible was to my everyday life, even though it was written thousands of years ago. As I grew closer to God, I started experiencing the many positive effects that result from a close relationship with Him.

After a while, however, I hit a plateau. I wanted to go deeper with God, but for some reason I couldn’t get there. Then God revealed to me why. My eating disorder was getting in the way of my relationship with Him. It was as if God was saying, "Rae Lynn, the place where you are standing is holy ground. Before you can come any closer to me, there is something you must “take off.” Something which is keeping you from experiencing the full-measure of my presence." The sandals were a symbolic gesture signifying something profound: The purest encounters with God require total abandonment, complete transparency, and the removal of that which is unholy.

My eating disorder behavior displayed a complete disregard for God’s temple—my body. Deep down, I knew what I was doing was wrong, but it wasn’t until the scale had tipped (no pun intended) and my desire for a deeper relationship with God outweighed my desire for the love and approval of others that I finally had the proper motivation to get well.

Like me, is there something God is asking you to remove, something that has kept you from experiencing the full-measure of His life-transforming power? Sweet friend, let Jesus help you remove those “sandals” once and for all.

Personal Reflection

• Do you desire a closer relationship with Jesus?
• What might God be asking you to “take off” so you can grow closer to Him?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, I want to be as close to you as possible. Help me remove that which is keeping me from experiencing a deeper relationship with you. Amen.