Posted on

The power of faith…. (devo reflection)

Leviticus 6:15 The priest is to take a handful of the finest flour and some olive oil, together with all the incense on the grain offering, and burn the memorial portion on the altar as an aroma pleasing to the Lord. 

Verse 18 has my attention this morning, and the fact that whatever touches the food offerings presented to the Lord will become holy. It speaks, in my mind, to the tranferent power of faith and belief. This reference put me in mind of Matthew 9:20-22, the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years and thought “to herself, ‘If I only touch [Jesus’s] cloak, I will be healed’” (Matt 9:21).

Leviticus 6:16 Aaron and his sons shall eat the rest of it, but it is to be eaten without yeast in the sanctuary area; they are to eat it in the courtyard of the tent of meeting. 

Jesus said to her, “Take heart, daughter…your faith has healed you” (Matt 9:22). The power of her faith in Jesus meant that a simple touch of His garment allowed His healing power to transfer to her, to stop her bleeding after twelve long years. I want that kind of faith. 

Leviticus 6:17 It must not be baked with yeast; I have given it as their share of the food offerings presented to me. Like the sin offering and the guilt offering, it is most holy. 

Precious Savior, I know Your power isn’t an enchanted wand to magically make all the bad in my life go away. But I want a faith strong enough that even touching the hem of Your garment will allow me to not only endure the toughest times, but will allow me to feel Your healing peace in the process. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Leviticus 6:18 Any male descendant of Aaron may eat it. For all generations to come it is his perpetual share of the food offerings presented to the Lord. Whatever touches them will become holy.’ ”

Have a blessed day. 

Posted on

Deeply, fiercely, completely loved…. (devo reflection)

Leviticus 5:16 They must make restitution for what they have failed to do in regard to the holy things, pay an additional penalty of a fifth of its value and give it all to the priest. The priest will make atonement for them with the ram as a guilt offering, and they will be forgiven.

I am so incredibly aware of my imperfections and fallibilities. Matthew 5:48 (Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.) has always been tough for me because I am so disastrously far from perfect that I know I can never measure up. 

Leviticus 5:17 “If anyone sins and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands, even though they do not know it, they are guilty and will be held responsible. 

It took me years (and years and years) to truly believe, down to my soul, that God loves me EXACTLY as I am, which means He knows of alllllllll my failures and shortcomings and idiosyncrasies, and He loves me anyway because I am His deeply, fiercely, completely loved child. Period.

Leviticus 5:18 They are to bring to the priest as a guilt offering a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value. In this way the priest will make atonement for them for the wrong they have committed unintentionally, and they will be forgiven. 

Precious Savior, You know I fight feeling “not good enough” on a daily basis. Thank You for whispering to my heart, every single day, that I am Yours, deeply, fiercely, completely loved. Period. I am eternally grateful for Your love and grace. Amen.

Leviticus 5:19 It is a guilt offering; they have been guilty of wrongdoing against the Lord.”

Have a blessed day. 

Posted on

On contradictions and sacrifices…. (devo reflection)

Leviticus 4:22-23 “ ‘When a leader sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the commands of the Lord his God, when he realizes his guilt and the sin he has committed becomes known, he must bring as his offering a male goat without defect. 

As I was reading today’s verses, two additional verses of scripture came to mind. The first is Matt 5:48, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” The second is Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God….”

Leviticus 4:24 He is to lay his hand on the goat’s head and slaughter it at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered before the Lord. It is a sin offering. 

Those two verses seem to contradict each other and perhaps lay the groundwork for all this bloody sacrifice in Leviticus–We as humans cannot be perfect. It’s impossible. So we have to atone for our sins to try to wipe the slate clean. Jesus’s sacrifice was a permanent wiping of the slate.

Leviticus 4:25 Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 

Precious Savior, Thank You for the verses You have laid on my heart this morning. Thank You for sitting with me and inviting me to ponder Your word in ways I haven’t before. Help me to understand and draw closer to You with every breath. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Leviticus 4:26 He shall burn all the fat on the altar as he burned the fat of the fellowship offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for the leader’s sin, and he will be forgiven.

Have a blessed day. 

Posted on

Unintentional sin…. (devo reflection)

Leviticus 4:18 He is to put some of the blood on the horns of the altar that is before the Lord in the tent of meeting. The rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 

Twice already in this chapter the author has mentioned sinning unintentionally. And commentary mentions “sins, negligences, and ignorances,” which makes a lot of sense. Sin isn’t only those willful acts of disobedience. 

Leviticus 4:19 He shall remove all the fat from it and burn it on the altar, 

I’m absolutely certain that all of us have sinned due to negligence (things we neglected to do) and due to ignorance (things we just didn’t have any clue we were doing or information we were ignorant of and therefore we sinned).

Leviticus 4:20 and do with this bull just as he did with the bull for the sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for the community, and they will be forgiven. 

Precious Savior, Once again I see that it is so very easy to judge and so very easy to sin, and since I am so susceptible to the latter, I need to refrain from the former. Help me to hold tight to Matthew 7:1 (Judge not, lest ye be judged) and Mark 12:30-31 (30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 … ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’…”). Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Leviticus 4:21 Then he shall take the bull outside the camp and burn it as he burned the first bull. This is the sin offering for the community.

Have a blessed day. 

Posted on

Judge not, lest ye be judged…. (devo reflection)

Exodus 34:21 “Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest.

Yesterday had me examining Aaron’s sins, but while we’re at it, Moses got away with arguing with God in Exodus 3-4 over whether he had what it took to talk to Pharaoh. Moses convinced God to let Aaron go with him. (Wonder if he’s regretting that decision now, in light of the golden calf debacle?) 

Exodus 34:22 “Celebrate the Festival of Weeks with the firstfruits of the wheat harvest, and the Festival of Ingathering at the turn of the year. 

But even as I started contemplating today’s reflection, God brought Romans 12:19, which is quoting Deut 32:35 to mind, “Vengeance is Mine,” declares the Lord. I’m over here worried about Aaron and Moses paying their due and God’s got it all under control. Of course.

Exodus 34:23 Three times a year all your men are to appear before the Sovereign Lord, the God of Israel. 

Precious Savior, What I am seeing clearly from my thoughts, questions, and doubts is the truth of Matthew 7:1-2, which reminds me not to judge because the measure I use to judge others will be used to judge me, too. I mess up every single day, Lord. I want to be judged with Your grace, mercy, and love. Help me to just love others and leave it to You to judge them. Help me, Jesus, and thank You for the reminder. Amen.

Exodus 34:24 I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your territory, and no one will covet your land when you go up three times each year to appear before the Lord your God.

Have a blessed day. 

Posted on

We belong to God…. (devo reflection)

Exodus 28:36 “Make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: holy to the Lord. 

Commentary on verse 36 led me to this gem: “The inscription HOLINESS TO THE LORD indicated that first and foremost the high priest was the servant of God, not man,” which put me in mind of Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other….”

Exodus 28:37 Fasten a blue cord to it to attach it to the turban; it is to be on the front of the turban. 

Unfortunately in this life, it is far too easy to forget whom we serve. Life can be insistent. Bills must be paid. Acceptance is everything. One compromise, then another, quickly and easily leads to one more and one more and one more. It’s a slippery slope when we forget that we belong to God, not man.

Exodus 28:38 It will be on Aaron’s forehead, and he will bear the guilt involved in the sacred gifts the Israelites consecrate, whatever their gifts may be. It will be on Aaron’s forehead continually so that they will be acceptable to the Lord.

Precious Savior, I think all of us at some point are guilty of serving man instead of You. Forgive us. Redirect us. Help us to remember that we are Your deeply loved children, set aside by You, that we belong to You alone. Help us act like Your children. Help us, Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 28:39 “Weave the tunic of fine linen and make the turban of fine linen. The sash is to be the work of an embroiderer.

Have a blessed day. 

Posted on

“The beautiful thing she has done….” (devo reflection)

Exodus 27:18 The courtyard shall be a hundred cubits long and fifty cubits wide, with curtains of finely twisted linen five cubits high, and with bronze bases. 

I am struck today with the contrast between the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament, God was unapproachable in His holiness. Worshippers could come into the courtyard and no further. The temple, with its gold, bronze, and fine linens, was off limits.  

Exodus 27:19 All the other articles used in the service of the tabernacle, whatever their function, including all the tent pegs for it and those for the courtyard, are to be of bronze.

Conversely, Jesus defended the sinful woman who bathed his feet in expensive nard and wiped them dry with her hair. There was no courtyard to contain her. There was no holding back of the finery for the inner sanctum. Though the disciples’ indignation was evident, Jesus defends the woman for “the beautiful thing she has done…” (Matt 26:10).

Exodus 27:20 “Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning. 

Precious Savior, Thank You both for Your holiness and Your approachability. Thank You that I don’t have to dress up my hurt, my wounds, my confusion, my anger, that You love me and welcome me into Your presence always. Help me never to forget “the beautiful thing” You have done for me. Help me to treat others with that extravagant grace. Amen.

Exodus 27:21 In the tent of meeting, outside the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law, Aaron and his sons are to keep the lamps burning before the Lord from evening till morning. This is to be a lasting ordinance among the Israelites for the generations to come.

Have a blessed day. 

Posted on

Intention is important…. (devo reflection)

Exodus 20:1-2 And God spoke all these words: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

As I read verse 3 of this chapter, Matthew 6:21 comes to mind, which says “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” While the temptation to worship other gods today isn’t what it was in the time of Exodus, we are still guilty of putting other things before God.

Exodus 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before me.

For me, remembering Matthew 6:21 helps. If I can ascertain where my heart is, what my focus is, I can better see what I’m valuing most at the moment and whether God is still on His throne in my life. But if I don’t continue to ask myself that question, I can easily take my eyes off God and start chasing something that isn’t Him. The frightening thing is that it happens so quickly, so subtly, that I may not even notice.

Exodus 20:4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 

Precious Savior, Thank You for this reminder that intention is important. We have to put You front and center in our lives and keep You there if we want to live a life that is pleasing to You. Help me to ask myself daily where my heart is and to recalibrate whatever is needed to refocus my heart on You when my attention slips. Amen.

Exodus 20:5-6 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

Have a blessed day. 

Posted on

On scarcity mindsets and God’s provision…. (devo reflection)

Exodus 16:16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.’ ”

I’m still thinking about the scarcity mindset and the fact that Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:34 that “Each day has enough trouble of its own.” What if trouble in this verse doesn’t actually mean trouble? What if God is saying, yet again, that He will give us what we need when we need it if we only trust Him?

Exodus 16:17 The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. 

That could mean that my scarcity mindset, which leads me to be over prepared so that I’m not in want, so that I am never in need, keeps me from experiencing God’s provision in a way I haven’t before. Perhaps it keeps me from seeing God make a way in my wilderness (Is 43:19). It’s definitely interesting to ponder.

Exodus 16:18 And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed.

Precious Savior, Thank You for this new way to look at scripture I have read many times. I know that this fear of lack, this scarcity mentality is something You are calling me to put aside so that I can trust You more fully. Help me to draw closer to You. Always. Amen.

Exodus 16:19 Then Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning.”

Have a blessed day. 

Posted on

Each day’s trouble…. (devo reflection)

Exodus 16:4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. 

I have always read this section as a test and one that I would inevitably fail: Can I just get enough for today without worrying about tomorrow? No, I cannot because the scarcity mindset–the belief that finite resources (be they food, money, supplies, etc) will run out and I don’t want to be left wanting–is real and pervasive.

Exodus 16:5 On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days.”

When Jesus says in Matthew 6:34 “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own,” it’s the trouble that jumps out at me, but I truly think I should focus on the provision. God’s got me. His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). He is faithful and will give me what I need when I need it.

Exodus 16:6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt, 

Precious Savior, I am so like the Israelites in all the worst ways–I grumble, forgetting Your faithfulness. I horde, forgetting that You will provide all I need each day–strength, peace, compassion, love. Help me to break this cycle of fear and to trust that You are who You say You are and that I am Your deeply, fiercely, completely loved child. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 16:7 and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?”

Have a blessed day.