Today, I’m simply writing a word of encouragement, and I’m writing it mainly because I need it. Today marks the first day of my first “real” job since becoming ill. I’m desperately afraid that I’ll say something stupid or my employer will find out what a mess I am. I read some Psalms this morning, searching for encouragement, but searching the Bible for comfort without the help of God generally yields poor results.

Instead, after I gave up, I looked to the left of my desk at my new binder all nice and prepared for tonight, when I start a Bible study on Exodus. God then poured his grace upon me with peace from an unlikely source. Exodus 19:18-20 says, Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire…. And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain.

The Lord came down – from the beginning and through the end, God has never required us to ascend to the heights of heaven in order to receive his words. In humility, each of the members of the Trinity have stooped as low as the dust of this earth. The Father himself joined Moses on Mount Sinai. Jesus descended even further, submitting to a criminal’s death for the sake of our unworthy lives. And, when Jesus ascended back into heaven, the Spirit came down and dwelt not just on earth, but within the hearts of sinful men.

I’m still afraid, I’m still anxious, but I know that nothing in this world can harm my heart or my soul, because God himself, Emmanuel, is with me. Plus, as Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, all I need to do is take it one day at a time, right?