Wednesday, February 10, 2010
February 10 ... Leviticus 26 - 28 "Struggle Well"
Leviticus 26:11 - "I'll set up my residence in your neighborhood." If we surrender, He is our neighbor. Oh! If we confess our sins, Lev. 26:11...wait, when was the last time I repented of sin? About 15 minutes ago. I went into the living room to my husband to ask his forgiveness for being very rude to him, but you know what happened? I sinned again right there cause I didn't like his response. We have the awesome privilege of going into the Holy of Holies and living no longer curved in. Repentance isn't just asking someone to forgive me but it's turning from it. 66 Love Letters: "Think of holiness as relational energy that is more concerned with another's well-being than our own. Think of unholiness as perverted relational energy that is more concerned with our well-being than another's." So, as we close the Book of Leviticus, what would holiness look like as we relate to our spouse today? What would it look like as we relate to our children? What does it look like this day as we relate to our world? My prayer for all of us as we end this book is Colossians 1:29: As you face and embrace some really hard things, may you struggle well with "His Energy that so powerfully works in you." So what does the Book of Leviticus stir in you? What have you most thought about as you read this book?
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Today's readings were VERY difficult to read. I had the image of a person picking up a Bible for the first time and flipping to this portion. I hope that doesn't happen often. I guess I'd want new believers to start off in the Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John... I'm SO glad we know the rest of the story! I heard the part about what happens when we don't obey a lot louder than I heard what happens when we do. I have a tendency to hear the negative WAY louder than the positive. Leviticus has made me really look at my sins for what they are and realize I cannot be perfect or Holy on my own. I am totally dependent on His power to soften my heart. I'm praying today we all have soft hearts to receive His love and forgiveness!
ReplyDeleteWhat would holiness look like as I relate to Lincoln today? I would let God be God and not try to be Lincoln's Holy Spirit. I would see him as God sees him and treat him with the respect he deserves as in Ephesians 5:33... "However each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband."
Love, Angie xoxo
I wish you could all see the perfect "pure" white blanket of snow outside my window this morning!
ReplyDeleteThere are so many verses which really spoke to me in Chapter 26. As I began chapter 26, the words
ReplyDelete1 "Don't make idols for yourselves; don't set up an image or a sacred pillar for yourselves, and don't place a carved stone in your land that you can bow down to in worship. I am God, your God.
2 "Keep my Sabbaths; treat my Sanctuary with reverence. I am God are the 1st words I read.
I need to examine my heart, mind and life - have I opened the door wide to sin and let idols in, have I left the door cracked and let the creep in? My dad was ill from 2005-2009, critically ill from the end of 2007 until his death a year ago. In some areas of my walk with God, I HELD His hand tight, in other areas - I became slip shop. My prayer life is still not as intense as it was. I want to get back to where and I was and go even deeper with Him.
Do I treat His sanctuary with reverence? In regards to myself being a temple of the Holy Spirit, the most honest answer I can give is - Sometimes. I have added more to my thoughts at annettescovertocover.blogspot.com
I watched too much Mr. Rogers when the kids were little. I keep singing, "Who are the people in your neighborhood?" But it seems to be a good question to ask this morning.
ReplyDeleteIt isn't possible for anything impure, any sin at all to coexist with a holy God in my neighborhood.
As we leave Leviticus, I have struggled with the readings on many a day. Sin is everywhere, and is it any wonder we are living in a fallen world?
Holiness is indeed "wholly other" as some define. It is dying to self as Paul describes. What does holiness look like on me? Well, it doesn't look like severe obedience or even a lot of love exuding, I'm afraid. It looks like a Christ covering, I pray. A "dipped in His Blood and washed clean" look I hope. . .but for the blood of the Lamb, thank you Lord!
I've spent a lot of Leviticus this year realizing sin I never had accounted for. I am grateful. I've also become more accutely aware of how very MUCH He wants relationship to go to the extremes for us to dwell in the same space. His love is extravagant, His Grace the best gift I've ever begun to receive.
What a journey this is into Him!
Love you all, Annette
I've enjoyed the reading in Leviticus in this version. It's given me more of an understanding of how seriously God takes Himself and our sin. No detail is too small for Him. And as much as I want life to be about me, He makes it very clear that it's about Him.
ReplyDeleteHe wants us to be in relationship with Him, but it will be on His terms. That is such a good reminder for me because oftentimes, I want everything to revolve around me and my wants and needs...Crabb's definition of unholiness.
Bev's question about what would holiness look like in our relationships hits home today. This is day three of two sick little kids who are whiny and fussy and all over me. Yesterday was a particular hard day as my selfishness was getting the best of me. I wanted them off of me and to leave me alone! So today I will meditate on Colossians 1:29 and trust God with my attitude and responses - and pray for healing!
After today's reading and comments I was reminded that even though I kept my words quiet yesterday over a frustrating issue,I still sinned for thinking them and saying them to myself over and over again, chewing on the words so wanting to express them outloud.
ReplyDeleteWhile hard, I am thankful for His conviction and the peace of forgiveness as I confess.
I am encouraged and challenged as I read the reponses all of you leave from time to time.
ReplyDeleteMay you have a blessed day!
Oh Leviticus - its time to say goodbye, and Woohoo WE MADE IT!! I can honestly say that I truly began to fall in love with this book as I read through all 27 Chapters with the mindset that the Lord's plan for my life (and reading these 27 chapters) is to make me holy.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't help but remember back to Exodus 15:13 saying "In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling."
To me the journey through Leviticus has been a journey of thankfulness and a journey of becoming a person who understands that I am redeemed.
As the Isrealites journeyed through Egypt, across the sea, and to a place of freedom and redemption, I was reminded that our journeys through life is truly a process too.
It does not matter whether or not I am standing on the Egypt side, stepping on dry land where the sea is all around me, or being on the other side of the sea in the safety and security that I am being redeemed.
God in his UNFAILING LOVE leads us by His Strength, and He Guides us to a place that is holy and beautiful and wonderful. There are points in the journey that I find myself needing just stop and realize that I am being redeemed and He is making me Holy. And this journey through Leviticus is opening my eyes to the Lord wanting me to be holy.
And that thought just overwhelms me. I can't help but stop and cry out to our Holy God and worship Him and praise Him.
I am too so thankful that we know the rest of the story. And we know that Jesus has redeemed us and He is calling us to be holy.
I don't know about you, but a Book that usually makes me want to hurry through so I can move on, has made me just stop and is now encouraging me to spend some much needed time in worship and praise for our Jesus!!!
Thank each of you for challenging me so very much with all your comments and statements. You are such blessings to me. And I am looking forward to the next 63!!!
-Kim
Ang...I would love to see that snow! We have so very little snow in middle Georgia. But we do get excited over snowflakes, even if we can't gather enough to make an itty bitty snowman. I'll bet your snowfall is gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteI come away from Leviticus with AWE over my good God. I stand at the door to the Tent of Meeting and I can only peer inside here on this side of the cross. My AWE is full of fear and deep mystery. But He is MY G.O.D. I'm pressing that one in right now. Just letting it hold me up as I keep peering into the Holy of Holies. Even if I could go in there...I wouldn't. I could not measure up.
I could not measure up based on my holiness...my purity...my keeping the law. I am undone in His presence.
I will be forever grateful for MY Jesus. GOD is MY God. But JESUS is MY Sacrifice. My hand is on His thorn-pierced brow as He bears my sins and frees me from the penalty of sin.
I am free to run the race He has set out before me.
"I ripped off the harness of your slavery so that you can move about freely."