It’s important to know a little bit about the places you travel to. Wearing camouflage in St. Lucia might get you thrown in jail. If you have asthma, be aware that taking an inhaler to Japan could get you turned away at the airport. Don’t pose for a selfie in front of a statue of Buddha in Sri Lanka: it’s considered a serious offense. Taking e-cigarettes to Thailand could land you in prison for up to ten years, while swearing in public in Dubai could mean deportation.
Every country has its own rules and regulations. What seems like acceptable behavior to us might be illegal in another country. Tourists often unwittingly run afoul of laws they didn’t know anything about. It can be confusing to learn all the local rules and expectations when traveling abroad.
In the Old Testament, worshipping God could be rather complex. Temple worship was regulated by many rules and commandments. Get it wrong – as they sometimes did – and there were serious consequences.
Thankfully, Christ did away with all that. The writer of Hebrews makes it clear that “By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him.” (Hebrews 10:20-22)
This makes life easier for us. We are free to enter the place of prayer and talk directly with God. Let’s make sure we enjoy this and take advantage of the privilege.