One and Done for You

Leviticus 1:1-2 The Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting.  He said, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When any of you brings an offering to the Lord, bring as your offering an animal from either the herd or the flock.’”

I’ve been reading the book of Leviticus and I struggled through the first 7 chapters because they were about all the sacrifices/offerings that the Israelites were instructed to give to God.  The verses weren’t gruesome or anything like that, but they were very detailed.  There were verses about burnt offerings, grain offerings, fellowship offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings. There were instructions about which animals to use and what parts of the animals to use. Some parts of the animals were to be burned, some parts eaten by the priest and some parts eaten by the person giving the sacrifice.  All in all, there are 171 verses with very specific details on how all the different offerings are to be made. 

Honestly, as I was reading these verses, I thought to myself, “Wow, I’m super glad I didn’t live 1400 years before Jesus.  There is no way I would be able to remember all this.”  I mean, it’s not like they could whip out a pen and paper to take notes.  They didn’t have cell phones to record the sacrifices so they could remember how to do them again the next time.  If I lived back then, I think I would have been terrified that I would forget something.

In the Old Testament, an animal’s life was given to save the life of a person in the form of a sacrifice. But this was only a temporary fix because people would sin again and again.  Luckily, we were born after the most important sacrifice was made. That sacrifice was Jesus dying on the cross.  In John 1:29 it says, “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Jesus was called the Lamb of God because he was sent to us from God to be the ultimate sacrifice so that we no longer had to sacrifice animals or grain to be forgiven.  Jesus died for us so that we could be made right before God forever and spend eternal life with Him in heaven.  One sacrifice that never has to be done again. One and done for you. 

Jesus, thank you for giving your life as a sacrifice for mine. You are the most incredible example of love.  You fill me up with joy and happiness.  Please open my eyes to see others that need to hear the good news of about your love and sacrifice for them.  Help me to be a reflection of you.  Amen.

Nuggets of Joy, Peace, and Perseverance

Philippians 4:12-13 “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

Have you read Philippians? Oh my goodness it is chock full of some amazing verses about joy and peace and perseverance. It is only 4 short chapters and fills up just 12 pages in my study Bible but it sooo good. Paul was in prison in Rome when he wrote this letter to the church that he started in Philippi. Did you read that…Paul was IN PRISON and his letter was about joy and peace and perseverance?

Clearly Paul’s joy does not come from his outward circumstances but from his inward strength. Strength that he gets from being filled with the Holy Spirit and having a relationship with Christ. In fact, Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all THIS through him who gives me strength.” That doesn’t mean God will give him supernatural strength to escape from prison or single handedly conquer the Romans or even convince the prison guards to let him go. It means with or without earthly things, Paul will have the strength to do THIS. And what is THIS you ask?  It is to persevere in his mission to spread the good news of Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection.

You may not be in prison like Paul, but it is super easy to be discouraged about your circumstances or to take unimportant events too seriously. Would you like to worry less like Paul?  Would you like to have strength like Paul? I’ve got the answer for you. Pray more. Worship more. I saw a meme that my dad posted this week on social media, and it made the answer so clear to me.  It said:

Worship can get you through

the roughest times in your life

because it shifts your focus

from the problem

to the problem solver.

True peace comes from knowing God is in control. When you believe that, I mean truly believe that God has a plan and is in control, it will guard your mind from worry and anxiety. Like Philippians 4:7 says, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” I know, easy to say but hard to do. So, I encourage you to give it a try this week. Whenever you start to worry, stop and pray, worship, and read (or reread) Philippians. Search for the nuggets of joy, peace, and perseverance that Paul is sharing in this letter and imagine it was written specifically for you. Your week will be so much better for it. It was for me, for today I have joy.

Lord God, thank you for the words you gave us through your servant Paul. Words that are meant to guide us to a strong personal relationship with you. Keep my eyes focused on the strength that you give me and not my earthly circumstances. Amen

Through Every Season, He Has A Plan

Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Most people have heard this Bible verse before but probably do not know the context of the passage.  This was part of a letter that Jeremiah, a prophet, wrote to the surviving people from Jerusalem that had been exiled to Babylon.  The letter was a message from God to His people (people just like you and me).  In a nutshell, God wanted His people to know that even though they were living through a difficult season, they should not stop living.  He encouraged them to build houses, plant gardens, get married and have children.  Carry on.  Keep living.  Even though their life was not perfect, He said to keep living it.  God even said they should pray for Babylon because if it prospers, they will prosper too.  God wants them to prosper because he is going to bring them back to Jerusalem one day.  Then He says it.  “For I know the plans I have for you.  Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” 

Did you hear that?  God has plans for you.  Through every season of your life, He has a plan.  When you feel abandoned, lost, helpless, or tired, like the people of Israel did, He has a plan.  When you face struggles, fears, sorrows or disgrace, He has a plan.  You may not be able to see the plan but it is there.  And the plan is good because God is good.

So how do you get through the hard times?  How do you survive the difficult season? The key is to lean into God during those times.  Jeremiah 29:13 (two verses later) says that “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all you heart.”  So when you find yourself in that season and things are weighing you down, keep on going, lean into God, seek Him through His word and keep on living.  Build a house, plant a garden, get married and have children.  And when you come out on the other side, the plan will be clear.

Lord, thank you for being with me through the good times and the bad.  Thank you for loving me enough to have a plan.  I have faith in you and I know that no matter what, you will bring me through this season of my life.  I love you.  Amen.

Do Not Take Your Eyes Off God

Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Have you ever noticed when your life starts to go really well something unexpected happens and throws you off course? I mean you’re going along just fine. Your kids are happy, you love your job, your money situation is good (not great but good) and then BOOM! Adversity strikes. Your son gets bullied at school and doesn’t want to go back. Your daughter tries out for a club, doesn’t get accepted and is in tears. Your boss leaves the company to take another job and your new boss is a jerk. Then your car breaks down and the extra money you had in your pocket is gone.

Suddenly life is difficult. Your stomach is in knots, and you aren’t sure how to handle the changes. What is the best thing to you say to your children? How do you handle your new boss? Should you still take the family vacation you’ve been planning now that you don’t have the extra money?

It is so easy to blame God for the bad things that happen in our life. To question him and ask, even demand an explanation. Why me? Why now? Everything was going so well. Why would you do this to me? But I would like to challenge you to look at it a different way. The enemy is the one that comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Not God. Philippians 4:19 says, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” So instead of blaming God, lean into God. Have faith that God will be with you to bring you through this season of adversity.

The enemy doesn’t really want your peace of mind or your job or your money. He hits that to see if your faith is in that.  Because that is what he really wants. The enemy wants your faith. Your commitment to God. And if he can crush your faith, he wins. If he can get you to turn your back on God, he wins. Don’t do it. Do not take your eyes off God. Do not turn away from the only one that always has your back. Tell the enemy that your God is a mighty God and that your faith will not waiver.

You may never get that explanation that you were demanding regarding why these things happen to you. But you can be confident that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him who have been called according to his purpose.”  (Romans 8:28) So, stay close to God and have faith that he will make sense of it all.

Lord, my life is a series of ups and downs. But you are my constant. I love you and believe in you and have faith that you will be with me during the good times and the bad. Give me wisdom to handle all the challenges in my life. I will not take my eyes off you. Amen.