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What God calls me to do…. (devo reflection)

Leviticus 17:12 Therefore I say to the Israelites, “None of you may eat blood, nor may any foreigner residing among you eat blood.”

My morning reflections are a pretty accurate barometer of where I am on any given day. Sometimes God places things on my radar that I didn’t expect, but usually, I can see truths in the daily scripture that apply to whatever I have going on. And while I am ever vigilant to try not to use scripture to confirm my own biases and viewpoints, I know that it is possible because I am human.

Leviticus 17:13-14 “ ‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing among you who hunts any animal or bird that may be eaten must drain out the blood and cover it with earth, because the life of every creature is its blood. That is why I have said to the Israelites, “You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood; anyone who eats it must be cut off.”

But I also think that what I am doing is part of what God calls me to do, allows me to do according to Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

Leviticus 17:15 “ ‘Anyone, whether native-born or foreigner, who eats anything found dead or torn by wild animals must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be ceremonially unclean till evening; then they will be clean.

Precious Savior, I want to draw closer to You through Your word, not justify myself or my actions. Help me, every single day, to understand Your scripture in the way that You intended, not in a way that justifies myself. Help me to bring You praise and glory always. Amen.

Leviticus 17:16 But if they do not wash their clothes and bathe themselves, they will be held responsible.’ ”

Have a blessed day.

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The glow of God’s hope…. (devo reflection)

Leviticus 16:20 “When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat. 

Commentary talks in today’s verses about folks wanting certainty about this act of atonement with the sacrificial goat and the scapegoat. I am reminded that in this life there is no certainty, there is only hope, which brings to mind Hebrews 11:1, “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” 

Leviticus 16:21 He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and put them on the goat’s head. He shall send the goat away into the wilderness in the care of someone appointed for the task. 

For me, the absence of hope is dangerous and leads me to some really scary places. To combat this tendency, I lean heavily on Psalm 71:14, “As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.” Do I know any of this for certain? No. Do I hope with all of my being? Absolutely.

Leviticus 16:22 The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a remote place; and the man shall release it in the wilderness.

Precious Savior, This life is impossible without hope as by the time I get to see You face-to-face to ask all the questions I have, either I will already know the answers or I won’t care any more. I believe in You with my whole heart, that You are good, that You are sovereign, that You are holy and loving and compassionate. Help me to live, always, in the glow of Your hope. Amen.

Leviticus 16:23 “Then Aaron is to go into the tent of meeting and take off the linen garments he put on before he entered the Most Holy Place, and he is to leave them there.

Have a blessed day. 

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Being specific and intentional…. (devo reflection)

Leviticus 3:5 Then Aaron’s sons are to burn it on the altar on top of the burnt offering that is lying on the burning wood; it is a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.

I firmly believe that “the word of God is alive and active….” (Heb 4:12) and that there is not a direct translation from then to now, so I’m left pondering how this scripture applies to me. 

Leviticus 3:6 “ ‘If you offer an animal from the flock as a fellowship offering to the Lord, you are to offer a male or female without defect. 

I don’t think God wants me to lay hands on an animal and slaughter it on the steps of His tent of meeting, in order to show my repentance, so what is He calling me to do?

Leviticus 3:7-8a If you offer a lamb, you are to present it before the Lord, lay your hand on its head and slaughter it in front of the tent of meeting. 

Precious Savior, I think You are calling me to be specific and intentional when I bring my heart to You. Help me to draw closer to Your heart as I study and pray each morning. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Leviticus 3:8b Then Aaron’s sons shall splash its blood against the sides of the altar.

Have a blessed day.

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God’s steadfast love…. (devo reflection)

Leviticus 2:1 “ ‘When anyone brings a grain offering to the Lord, their offering is to be of the finest flour. They are to pour olive oil on it, put incense on it 

I believe that “… the word of God is alive and active…” (Heb 4:12), which to me means that each book in the Bible was written for a specific reason and for a specific purpose. 

Leviticus 2:2 and take it to Aaron’s sons the priests. The priest shall take a handful of the flour and oil, together with all the incense, and burn this as a memorial portion on the altar, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord. 

That doesn’t mean that it has no meaning to me, but I think it’s as important to understand the original context of the words as it is to see what the Word is speaking to me as a modern reader. 

Leviticus 2:3 The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the food offerings presented to the Lord.

Precious Savior, You are “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb 13:8). Your steadfast love does not change, but humans do. Help me to seek to understand not only the original context of Your words but also what they mean for me in this moment. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Leviticus 2:4 “ ‘If you bring a grain offering baked in an oven, it is to consist of the finest flour: either thick loaves made without yeast and with olive oil mixed in or thin loaves made without yeast and brushed with olive oil.

Have a blessed day. 

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A day set aside for Him…. (devo reflection)

Exodus 31:16 The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. 

The Israelites are going from 400 years of constant work every day of the week, to observing the Sabbath, implementing a day of rest. This day of rest is so important to God for the Israelites to observe that He says “… Anyone who desecrates it is to be put to death; those who do any work on that day must be cut off from their people.” (v14). 

Exodus 31:17a It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, 

Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is alive and active….”, comes to mind as I read today’s verses about observing the Sabbath. Rest, these days, is much easier to come by for most. I think what God wants is a day set aside for Him, to touch base with Him, to sit with Him, to listen to Him. Does He want that daily? Yes! But setting aside one day a week dedicated to Him is a great start.

Exodus 31:17b and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’ ”

Precious Savior, Thank You that You want relationship with us, that it is so important to You that You urge us to observe a Sabbath rest. Thank You that we are no longer under the threat of death or banishment if we don’t observe the Sabbath. You don’t want automatons. You know time with You is good for us, and You want that for us. Help us to seek it for ourselves. Amen.

Exodus 31:18 When the Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the covenant law, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.

Have a blessed day. 

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The Urim and the Thummin…. (devo reflection)

Exodus 28:27 Make two more gold rings and attach them to the bottom of the shoulder pieces on the front of the ephod, close to the seam just above the waistband of the ephod. 

Today’s verses sent me on a bit of a deep dive into Urim and Thummin (v30). Turns out, not much is known about them except that they were a way for the high priest to divine the will of God. They are thought to be two stones, one light and one dark, indicating yes or no. 

Exodus 28:28 The rings of the breastpiece are to be tied to the rings of the ephod with blue cord, connecting it to the waistband, so that the breastpiece will not swing out from the ephod.

One commentary suggested that “The High Priest would ask God a question, reach into the breastplate, and pull out either a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’” and that this method was preferable to relying “on feelings, or outward appearances, or to simply use no discernment at all.”

Exodus 28:29 “Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of decision as a continuing memorial before the Lord. 

Precious Savior, My brief look into Urim and Thummin has me stumped this morning. It feels a bit like asking a Magic 8 Ball a question and shaking it to see what it says. And that does not square with who You are and who You are to me. Help me to make sense of Your word, which is alive and active (Heb 4:12), so that I can understand and draw closer. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 28:30 Also put the Urim and the Thummim in the breastpiece, so they may be over Aaron’s heart whenever he enters the presence of the Lord. Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord.

Have a blessed day. 

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Stay curious…. (devo reflection)

Exodus 28:17 Then mount four rows of precious stones on it. The first row shall be carnelian, chrysolite and beryl; 

A quick Google search tells me what I already suspected: Each row and each stone in today’s reading is symbolic. The stones represent the twelve tribes (v21) and the specific stones each have properties that associate with families within the twelve tribes. 

Exodus 28:18-19 the second row shall be turquoise, lapis lazuli and emerald; the third row shall be jacinth, agate and amethyst; 

I suspect I could spend quite a lot of time digging into just these verses, these stones, this symbolism if I wanted, and perhaps I will at some point, but today, I am reminded of Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is alive and active….” There is intention and meaning here, layer upon layer of it for any who wish to plumb the depths.

Exodus 28:20 the fourth row shall be topaz, onyx and jasper. Mount them in gold filigree settings. 

Precious Savior, Again I am reminded to “Stay curious” when it comes to Your word. Even as my eyes glaze over with all the specificity, I know that this detail exists for a reason and that by studying it, I can learn more about and draw closer to You. Thank You that Your word is alive and active and that I can learn more of You through the study of Your word. Amen.

Exodus 28:21 There are to be twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes.

Have a blessed day. 

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God’s word and our agendas…. (devo reflection)

Exodus 21:1 “These are the laws you are to set before them:

Commentary posits that this section of scripture marked a “great moral movement” in slavery among the Hebrew people, but all I can do when I read this is cringe. I am absolutely certain that “good, Christian” slaveholders (an oxymoron to be certain) used these verses to “protect their property” in American history, and it makes me sick to my stomach.

Exodus 21:2 “If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything. 

I sincerely believe that “God’s word is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edge sword…” (Heb 4:12). I believe that where I am in my life influences what I see when I read and study His word. I also believe it is incredibly easy to use the Bible to support our own interpretations and agendas if we aren’t careful, and that, quite honestly, scares me.

Exodus 21:3 If he comes alone, he is to go free alone; but if he has a wife when he comes, she is to go with him. 

Precious Savior, I do not want to bend Your word to fit my will, my interpretation, but I think that where I am in life helps me to see things in scripture that I am unable to see at other times. Help me to read and study Your word honestly and earnestly. Help me to draw closer to You, to love others as You love. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 21:4 If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free.

Have a blessed day. 

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Glimpses of God…. (devo reflection)

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“We won’t be shaken….” (devo reflection)

Hebrews 12:26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” 

What jumps out at me as I read today’s verses is in verse 27: “… so that what cannot be shaken may remain.” It reminds me of an old Building 429 song, “We won’t be shaken.” A blurb online about the song says it “focuses on the fact that God will protect you in your worst position and we won’t be shaken from all the things happening around us.”

Hebrews 12:27 The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

I am a firm believer that God holds us securely in the palm of His hands. And when I typed the words above, the image that so clearly came into my mind is one hand firmly below us, one hand firmly over us, protecting us from all sides. In order to do that, we have to be on our knees. It can feel crushing. But we are securely protected. We aren’t crushed. We aren’t destroyed.

Hebrews 12:28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 

Precious Savior, Thank You for knowing that in our humanity, we are shaken, all the time. Thank You that Your hand of protection surrounds us, bringing us to our knees so You can cover us. Thank You that even when we fear, even when we rage, even when we don’t understand, You are in control and You are holding us. Amen.

Hebrews 12:29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”

Have a blessed day.