28 Thursday Feb 2013
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As we wrap up our reading in Leviticus (while I feel relief in completing it), I must remember these are not merely empty words of ridiculous instructions. These are standards for God’s people to live by. The wisdom and insight these words provide to the Israelites should be proof enough of a sovereign and loving God who provides everything we need whether we realize it or not.
27 Wednesday Feb 2013
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We went over quite a few feasts in today’s reading. One of the notes in my Bible said the following:
“Feasts played a major role in Israel’s culture. Israel’s feasts were different from those of any other nation because, being ordained by God, they were times of celebrating Him, not times of moral depravity. God wanted to set aside days for the people to come together for rest, refreshment, and remembering with thanksgiving all he had done for them.”
Never thought about the difference in the feasts of the Bible and those that happened in other cultures. This is a good example of something we don’t do enough, celebrate the blessing we have from God. Let us all take some time to celebrate all our many blessings today.
26 Tuesday Feb 2013
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Today’s reading is summed up in the first two verses in Leviticus 19:1-2, The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy. Everything that is described and commanded in today’s reading is meant to bring the Israelites closer to God. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross bridges that gap for us, but the commandment in verse 2, ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.’ still holds true to us today as believers. We must keep all this in mind in everything we do.
25 Monday Feb 2013
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As we cross over to chapter 18 in the book of Leviticus, God’s message shifts from the sacrificial system for forgiveness of sin, to instructions on how to live as forgiven people. This is a good reminder to us a forgiven people through Christ’s sacrifice. As I read the second part of our reading in Proverbs this morning, verse 16:9 jumped out to me, In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps. This verse may not seem to tie into the reading in Leviticus, but to me it says a lot about how we, as changed people, are to allow God to show us how to live once we are forgiven. It’s difficult to live according to God’s plan if we are not first aware of the forgiveness He has provided us. We must first feel His forgiveness before we can truly live as forgiven people.
24 Sunday Feb 2013
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I’m not gonna lie to you, reading through Leviticus is not easy. There is so much information that is not longer relevant to us today. But I keep reminding myself that there is purpose in all of God’s word. All of these laws were meant to cleanse the people of their unrighteousness and to keep them safe. More importantly it was meant to remind us how much we are in need of God’s mercy and grace in our lives. While it may be tedious to read through this, imagine how tedious it would be to actually follow these laws. Let us all be thankful that God has provided us with salvation and a means to true relationship with Him through His son Jesus.
23 Saturday Feb 2013
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Today’s reding in Leviticus focuses on cleanliness. What is amazing to me is how much care God took to keep the Israelites save. In our modern world, we can see why we need to stay away from certain types of food, or at least be careful in how we prepare it. But the Israelites had to have faith and trust that God had a purpose for His commands. We must do the same thing. When God commands us to stay away from certain things, we must trust Him to know what is best for us. It may not make sense, but He sees the big picture much better than we could ever could.
22 Friday Feb 2013
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Sorry it too so long for me to post today. I completed the reading early this morning, but I was never able to return to write down my thoughts in the post. Unfortunately, I don’t have much of a comment on today’s reading except to say there is a lot of blood shed in the sacrifices described in the law. Ultimately there needs to be atonement for sin and it comes with a price. Never take it for granted that God demands atonement for sin, which makes Christ’s sacrifice that much more significant.
21 Thursday Feb 2013
Posted in Reflection
For our reflection day this week, I came across another great Skit Guys video. This one had me laughing the whole time… right up until the last minute and a half of the video. It is 12:32 in length, but it is worth the effort to watch the whole thing. Unfortunately, the video is not on YouTube yet so I could not embed it below, but I have shared the link to their site so you can view the video there. Please come back here and share your thoughts. As always, I would love to read them.
http://skitguys.com/videos/item/little-billy-my-god-is-so-big
20 Wednesday Feb 2013
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We are back to the Old Testament laws as we begin the book of Leviticus. While I know this is mundane and tedious, it is meant to remind us of what is required by our holy God. If it were not for the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, we would all be subject to the requirements of these laws. But let us not be mistaken, God is still holy. He still deserves and requires our respect and a humble heart when we come before His presence.
19 Tuesday Feb 2013
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Something new hit me today as I read Acts 26:32, Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.” While there were no real charges to be brought against Paul, being brought before Caesar allowed the gospel to become more than just a regional sect of Judaism. By traveling to Rome and making a big deal about the persecution he was experiencing, Paul was able to move the message of the gospel to the center of the Roman universe in a quick and powerful way. God has purpose in everything He does. It was no accident that God chose Paul, a high ranking Jew AND Roman citizen to become the main messenger of the Gospel. When we get sidetracked from what we think is our path in life, we need to heighten our awareness and suspect that God may be preparing us for something greater than ourselves. Never lose sight that God’s plan is perfect!
