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God wants our hearts…. (devo reflection)

Leviticus 11:26 “ ‘Every animal that does not have a divided hoof or that does not chew the cud is unclean for you; whoever touches the carcass of any of them will be unclean. 

Today’s scripture brings to mind 1 Cor 10:23, ““I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive,” which, for me, highlights the differences between the Old Testament and the New Testament.  

Leviticus 11:27 Of all the animals that walk on all fours, those that walk on their paws are unclean for you; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean till evening. 

Continuing in 1 Cor 10, verses 31 and 32 say, “31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God….” For me, these verses in 1 Cor get to the heart of the matter: Give glory to God always and don’t cause others to stumble in their walk. 

Leviticus 11:28 Anyone who picks up their carcasses must wash their clothes, and they will be unclean till evening. These animals are unclean for you.

Precious Savior, You know I struggle with the long list of rules to obey. You want more than just our obedience, You want our hearts. Thank You for putting 1 Cor on my heart as I read today’s verses. Thank You for the reminder to give You glory always and to not cause others to stumble in their walk. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Leviticus 11:29-30 “ ‘Of the animals that move along the ground, these are unclean for you: the weasel, the rat, any kind of great lizard, the gecko, the monitor lizard, the wall lizard, the skink and the chameleon.

Have a blessed day. 

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Awareness…. (devo reflection)

Leviticus 11:13-19 “ ‘These are the birds you are to regard as unclean and not eat because they are unclean: the eagle, a the vulture, the black vulture, the red kite, any kind of black kite, any kind of raven, the horned owl, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk, the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey, the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe and the bat.

I have found it really telling with this read through the Bible to pay attention to what is going on in my body as I read scripture. Today’s section has me anxious and filled with stress. 

Leviticus 11:20-23 “ ‘All flying insects that walk on all fours are to be regarded as unclean by you. There are, however, some flying insects that walk on all fours that you may eat: those that have jointed legs for hopping on the ground. Of these you may eat any kind of locust, katydid, cricket or grasshopper. But all other flying insects that have four legs you are to regard as unclean.

As best I can tell, the anxiety comes from all the rules and the threat of what happens if they are broken: “You will make yourselves unclean….” (v24), meaning there will be distance between me and God. Not good. 

Leviticus 11:24 “ ‘You will make yourselves unclean by these; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean till evening. 

Precious Savior, Thank You for the awareness of what is happening within me as I read Your word. Thank You that I can sometimes unpack and understand those reactions. When I can’t, help me to make some kind of peace and draw closer to You regardless. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Leviticus 11:25 Whoever picks up one of their carcasses must wash their clothes, and they will be unclean till evening.

Have a blessed day. 

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Following Jesus…. (devo reflection)

Leviticus 11:9 “ ‘Of all the creatures living in the water of the seas and the streams you may eat any that have fins and scales. 

Sometimes I feel like we have lost sight of the bigger picture, the “Love God, Love others” picture, the “Jesus died for our sins” picture. Loving God is not about being perfect. A side effect of our human condition is that perfection is not even an option. And yet, God loves us unconditionally and eternally anyway.

Leviticus 11:10 But all creatures in the seas or streams that do not have fins and scales—whether among all the swarming things or among all the other living creatures in the water—you are to regard as unclean. 

That’s not to say there should be no rules or guidelines. They are necessary. Only, when we get so tangled up in following the rules that we are no longer following Jesus, we have a serious problem. When we get so incensed about a dietary gaff that we no longer care where our heart is, we have lost our way.

Leviticus 11:11 And since you are to regard them as unclean, you must not eat their meat; you must regard their carcasses as unclean. 

Precious Savior, You know we are not perfect. Thank You that You sent Your Son to die for our sins because You knew we could never balance those scales ourselves. Help us to remember that You call us to love You and love others, to be Your hands and feet and heart in this world, to love everyone and let You sort them out later, to love and not to judge. Help us, Jesus. Amen.

Leviticus 11:12 Anything living in the water that does not have fins and scales is to be regarded as unclean by you.

Have a blessed day. 

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Completely, deeply, fiercely, unreservedly…. (devo reflection)

Leviticus 11:1-3 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Say to the Israelites: ‘Of all the animals that live on land, these are the ones you may eat: You may eat any animal that has a divided hoof and that chews the cud.

I get that the Israelites were living with the Egyptians for 400 years and have now been led to freedom, that God is showing them–with all these rules and laws–how to live and act as God’s people, that the dietary restrictions serve a similar purpose. I honestly get all of that.

Leviticus 11:4 “ ‘There are some that only chew the cud or only have a divided hoof, but you must not eat them. The camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is ceremonially unclean for you. 

What I’m struggling with is the modern picking and choosing of what in the Bible is “God’s undeniable law to follow” and what is man’s to pick and choose. We don’t worship like the ancient Israelites nor do we observe the dietary restrictions of the ancient Israelites, yet we don’t get to cherry pick the Bible for the parts we want to follow and the parts we want to skip. Except we do exactly that.

Leviticus 11:5-6 The hyrax, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you. The rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you. 

Precious Savior, I want to live a life that is pleasing to You, to shine Your light, to be Your hands and feet in this world. I want to love You with my whole heart and love others as You love them and me–completely, deeply, fiercely, unreservedly. Help me to use Your word to draw closer to You, not to cherry pick what I want to follow or ignore. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Leviticus 11:7-8 And the pig, though it has a divided hoof, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.

Have a blessed day. 

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Soften my heart…. (devo reflection)

Leviticus 10:17 “Why didn’t you eat the sin offering in the sanctuary area? It is most holy; it was given to you to take away the guilt of the community by making atonement for them before the Lord. 

Commentary says of these verses, “Burning hard against sin in a judging manner is easy. To sit down with a brother or sister as a fellow sinner and partake of the sin offering with them means you realize you aren’t any better than them. Only this kind of heart can minister to people.” 

Leviticus 10:18 Since its blood was not taken into the Holy Place, you should have eaten the goat in the sanctuary area, as I commanded.”

Since God’s been using these verses to remind me that I need to root out my judgy ways, this quote from commentary resonated with me. But it struck me that overcoming the desire to judge isn’t just good for me, it’s good for all. I can’t effectively shine God’s light if I’m also judging others (and smugly thinking of myself as “better than”). Help me, Jesus. 

Leviticus 10:19 Aaron replied to Moses, “Today they sacrificed their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord, but such things as this have happened to me. Would the Lord have been pleased if I had eaten the sin offering today?” 

Precious Savior, Never in a million years would I have thought You would bring me here with these verses in Leviticus, but here we are. Thank You for loving me so much that You are unwilling to leave me in my judgy ways. Soften my heart so that I can more effectively be Your hands and feet in this world. Amen.

Leviticus 10:20 When Moses heard this, he was satisfied.

Have a blessed day. 

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Calling me to task…. (devo reflection)

Leviticus 10:13 Eat it in the sanctuary area, because it is your share and your sons’ share of the food offerings presented to the Lord; for so I have been commanded.

I was reminded this morning that Jeremiah 29:14 reads, “I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.” So not only does God want us to earnestly seek Him instead of snarkily judging others, but also, if we do earnestly seek Him, not only will we find Him, but He will rescue us from our judgy ways.

Leviticus 10:14 But you and your sons and your daughters may eat the breast that was waved and the thigh that was presented. Eat them in a ceremonially clean place; they have been given to you and your children as your share of the Israelites’ fellowship offerings.

I honestly didn’t expect for God to use these verses in Leviticus to call me to task for my terrible tendency to judge, but here we are. And here’s the rub: Judging others is incredibly easy. I know I’m not the only one who makes a snarky comment when something isn’t done the way I would do it or the way I think it ought to be done. It’s so easy and such a dangerous slippery slope.

Leviticus 10:15 The thigh that was presented and the breast that was waved must be brought with the fat portions of the food offerings, to be waved before the Lord as a wave offering. This will be the perpetual share for you and your children, as the Lord has commanded.”

Precious Savior, Thank You for calling me to task about my tendency to judge others. Thank You for the reminder that that tendency is my pride talking and my pride will separate me from You every single time. Help me draw closer to You always. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Leviticus 10:16 When Moses inquired about the goat of the sin offering and found that it had been burned up, he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s remaining sons, and asked,

Have a blessed day.

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With all our hearts…. (devo reflection)

Leviticus 10:8-9 Then the Lord said to Aaron, “You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the tent of meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, 

Commentary on today’s verses is very judgy towards churches who use wine in their communion, which instantly gives me “the ick.” God’s purpose is to draw His people closer, not to have Bible scholars cast judgement. I honestly don’t think He would approve of the jab.

Leviticus 10:10 so that you can distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean, 

Jeremiah 29:13 comes to mind again as I ponder my reading today: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” God wants us to earnestly seek Him–not get snarky and judge others. He wants us to draw closer to Him. That will only happen when we seek Him with all our hearts, which we can’t do when we are making snide comments about others. 

Leviticus 10:11 and so you can teach the Israelites all the decrees the Lord has given them through Moses.”

Precious Savior, It can be so easy to devolve into judging and snideness, especially when we are busy talking about how others are missing the “Good Christian” mark. Help us to focus on You with our whole hearts, to try to draw closer to You so that we can worship You well, to love others and not judge, assuming that they are doing their best to draw closer, too. Help us, Jesus. Amen.

Leviticus 10:12 Moses said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take the grain offering left over from the food offerings prepared without yeast and presented to the Lord and eat it beside the altar, for it is most holy.

Have a blessed day. 

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Redirecting my heart…. (devo reflection)

Leviticus 10:5 So they came and carried them, still in their tunics, outside the camp, as Moses ordered.

Today’s scripture has me thinking about the fact that my job is to shine God’s light, not my own. I am incredibly aware that any good that comes from me and my words is all due to Him and for His glory, but sometimes the desire to hear praise for my words is stronger than my spiritual sense. 

Leviticus 10:6a Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not let your hair become unkempt and do not tear your clothes, or you will die and the Lord will be angry with the whole community. 

That desire for acknowledgement and praise is something I try to actively fight against, and God often keeps me humble with a glaring grammar error discovered after posting or an insight that suddenly seems crystal clear where no enlightenment could be found previously or by simply not illuminating a verse with any profound insight for me until I say, “Lord, I just don’t get it. Please help me understand.” 

Leviticus 10:6b But your relatives, all the Israelites, may mourn for those the Lord has destroyed by fire. 

Precious Savior, Thank You for redirecting my heart when it wants praise for my own actions instead of for Your glory. Help me to shine Your light always, to point others to You. Help me to understand Your word better and share Your encouragement with everyone I encounter. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Leviticus 10:7 Do not leave the entrance to the tent of meeting or you will die, because the Lord’s anointing oil is on you.” So they did as Moses said.

Have a blessed day. 

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Earnestly seeking…. (devo reflection)

Leviticus 10:1 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command. 

My first thought, reading today’s scripture, is: “Why would God punish someone earnestly seeking Him, even if it is in an unauthorized way?” Commentary posits that Aaron’s sons might not be earnestly seeking, that their pride might be prompting them to try to reach God in an unauthorized way to brag about their ability. 

Leviticus 10:2 So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. 

These thoughts lead me back to yesterday’s idea that God knows our hearts and reminds me that I need to be careful. I can be really judgy when I let myself, ascribing motives based on why I think others are doing or not doing something. Today’s scripture reminds me that I am not God, and, therefore, I need to quit judging. God knows my heart. He knows theirs, too. 

Leviticus 10:3 Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke of when he said: “ ‘Among those who approach me I will be proved holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored.’ ” Aaron remained silent.

Precious Savior, You call me to love and not to judge (Matt 7:1). Thank You that You know my heart and the hearts of others (Ps 44:21). Help me to leave the judging to You and to love others as You love–completely, fiercely, abundantly. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Leviticus 10:4 Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel, and said to them, “Come here; carry your cousins outside the camp, away from the front of the sanctuary.”

Have a blessed day. 

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He is still with us…. (devo reflection)

Leviticus 9:22 Then Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them. And having sacrificed the sin offering, the burnt offering and the fellowship offering, he stepped down.

The fire in verse 24 was a physical sign that God was with them. How amazing must that have been. For those of us consumed with doubt and fear, anxiety and worry, to have that physical reminder that He is with us is a beautiful gift.  

Leviticus 9:23 Moses and Aaron then went into the tent of meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. 

What I have to remind myself is that, even without that physical reminder, HE IS STILL WITH US. And if I can calm my anxiety and really pay attention to my surroundings, I can see evidence of His presence everywhere, in every situation.

Leviticus 9:24a Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. 

Precious Savior, Thank You that You are Emmanuel, “God with us” (Matt 1:23). You are not a distant, uncaring God. You collect all our tears in a bottle (Ps 56:8). You understand our pain (Ps 34:18) and know our hearts (Ps 44:21). Blanket us with Your peace so that we are neither troubled nor afraid (John 14:27). Draw us nearer. Amen.

Leviticus 9:24b And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown.

Have a blessed day.