Exodus 40

The glory that fills the house

‘Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. ‘ ~ Exodus 40:34

Have you ever wondered what it would look like if God’s presence completely filled your life? Not just a glimpse of His goodness or a brief touch of His hand every now and then, but His full, unmistakable presence dwelling with you, guiding you, and surrounding you in every area of your life. That is exactly what happened when Moses finished the work of building the tabernacle in Exodus 40.

After all the instructions, preparation, and obedience, something extraordinary took place. The glory of the Lord filled the house. It was so powerful that even Moses could not enter the tent because God’s presence was overwhelming. This same God who filled the tabernacle with His glory desires to fill your life today with His presence and power.

In this chapter, there are three important truths about how to prepare for and live in the presence of God.

1. Prepare a place for His presence

Before the glory came, there had to be a prepared place. Moses followed God’s instructions carefully, setting up every piece of the tabernacle exactly as the Lord commanded. Each part mattered, and obedience opened the way for God’s presence to come.

In your life, preparing a place for God’s presence begins with your heart. It means creating room for Him in your time, your thoughts, and your priorities. When you make space for Him, He fills it.

There was a time when my schedule was so full that I felt like I was constantly running from one thing to the next. I was serving, working, and doing good things, but I didn’t have much stillness in my days. One morning, I sensed the Holy Spirit whisper to my heart, “You’ve been serving Me but not sitting with Me.” That moment stopped me. I realized I had built a lot of activity around God but hadn’t made intentional space for His presence. When I began setting aside quiet time each day, even just fifteen minutes, it changed everything. Peace returned, clarity came, and I began to feel His presence filling my days in ways I hadn’t before.

Here is how you can get started:

• Start each day by inviting God to lead your day before anything else.
• Create a specific time each day to meet with Him through prayer or reading Scripture.
• Clear away distractions that crowd your spiritual space, such as constant noise, worry, or busyness.

Begin by setting aside ten minutes today to simply be with God. Sit quietly, open your Bible, and tell Him you want His presence to fill your life. Consistency in small moments opens the door for His glory to dwell with you.

2. Follow His direction, even in the details

Exodus 40 repeatedly says, “As the Lord commanded Moses.” Every detail mattered to God. Moses didn’t skip steps or make changes. He trusted that if God said it, it was worth doing. Obedience invited God’s presence, and blessing followed.

In today’s world, God’s direction can feel difficult, especially when culture tells you to do what feels right instead of what is right. But choosing to follow God, even in small ways, positions you to experience His peace, guidance, and favor.  After all, He has your best life planned and He only wants to lead you to that blessed path. He is for you more than any other person in this world and He has the power to give you the best blessed life as you follow His lead.

For me, obedience often starts with those small nudges in my heart, the kind that challenged my comfort zone. I remember a time when God prompted me to give something away that I really wanted to hold on to. It wasn’t about the item itself but about trusting that His blessing was waiting for me on the other side of my obedience. When I followed through, not only did I experience peace, but I also saw God’s provision show up in a completely unexpected way. Obedience, even when uncomfortable, always brings blessing.

Here is how you can get started:

• Ask God to show you one area where He’s leading you. It could be forgiveness, generosity, or stepping out in faith.
• Be intentional to follow through, even when it feels uncomfortable.
• Keep a journal of answered prayers or moments where following His instruction produced peace, so you can look back and see His faithfulness.

Pray today, “Lord, help me to obey You fully, even in the small things.” Listen for His gentle direction and act on what He shows you.

3. Expect God’s glory to fill your life

When the work was finished and everything was in its place, the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. This was not just a moment of awe, it was a sign that God was dwelling among His people. In the same way, when you prepare your heart and walk in His way, you can expect God’s presence to fill your life in powerful ways.

The glory of God might show up as peace in chaos, strength in weakness, or direction in confusion. His presence changes everything around you.

I’ve seen this happen in my own life during seasons of deep uncertainty. There were times when I didn’t have the answers, but I had peace. There were moments when everything felt too big, but His strength carried me. I know now that His glory doesn’t just fill a place, it fills a person who makes room for Him. When your heart is open and your steps are obedient, His presence meets you right where you are.

Here is how you can prepare for His presence:

• Believe that God desires to be near you, not far from you.
• When you feel discouraged or empty, remind yourself that His glory can fill your situation.
• Speak gratitude throughout your day for the ways God is already showing His presence and goodness.

Each morning, say, “Lord, fill me with Your presence today.” Throughout your day, pause and thank Him for being with you. You will begin to sense His peace and guidance more deeply.

Today I want to encourage you to prepare your heart for the presence of God and expect His glory to fill every part of your life. Just as He filled the tabernacle with His presence when everything was in order, He wants to fill you with His peace, strength, joy and wellbeing. When you make space for Him, follow His instructions, and believe that He is near, His glory will overflow in your life in ways that others can see. God still delights to dwell with His people, and He desires to dwell with you today.

Today’s scripture reading: Exodus 40

1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 

2 “On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 

3 You shall put in it the ark of the Testimony, and partition off the ark with the veil. 

4 You shall bring in the table and arrange the things that are to be set in order on it; and you shall bring in the lampstand and light its lamps. 

5 You shall also set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the Testimony, and put up the screen for the door of the tabernacle. 

6 Then you shall set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 

7 And you shall set the laver between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 

8 You shall set up the court all around, and hang up the screen at the court gate.

9 “And you shall take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it; and you shall hallow it and all its utensils, and it shall be holy. 

10 You shall anoint the altar of the burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar. The altar shall be most holy. 

11 And you shall anoint the laver and its base, and consecrate it.

12 “Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tabernacle of meeting and wash them with water. 

13 You shall put the holy garments on Aaron, and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest. 

14 And you shall bring his sons and clothe them with tunics. 

15 You shall anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may minister to Me as priests; for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.”

16 Thus Moses did; according to all that the Lord had commanded him, so he did.

17 And it came to pass in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was raised up. 

18 So Moses raised up the tabernacle, fastened its sockets, set up its boards, put in its bars, and raised up its pillars. 

19 And he spread out the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent on top of it, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 

20 He took the Testimony and put it into the ark, inserted the poles through the rings of the ark, and put the mercy seat on top of the ark. 

21 And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, hung up the veil of the covering, and partitioned off the ark of the Testimony, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

22 He put the table in the tabernacle of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil; 

23 and he set the bread in order upon it before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 

24 He put the lampstand in the tabernacle of meeting, across from the table, on the south side of the tabernacle; 

25 and he lit the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 

26 He put the gold altar in the tabernacle of meeting in front of the veil; 

27 and he burned sweet incense on it, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 

28 He hung up the screen at the door of the tabernacle. 

29 And he put the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered upon it the burnt offering and the grain offering, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 

30 He set the laver between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar, and put water there for washing; 

31 and Moses, Aaron, and his sons would wash their hands and their feet with water from it. 

32 Whenever they went into the tabernacle of meeting, and when they came near the altar, they washed, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 

33 And he raised up the court all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung up the screen of the court gate. So Moses finished the work.

34 Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 

35 And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 

36 Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would go onward in all their journeys. 

37 But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey till the day that it was taken up. 

38 For the cloud of the Lord was above the tabernacle by day, and fire was over it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

Journal:

• What areas of my life feel too crowded for God’s presence right now?
• How can I make more room for Him in my daily routine?
• What small step of obedience is God asking me to take today?
• When have I experienced God’s presence or peace in a noticeable way?
• How can I stay more aware of His glory in my everyday life?