First Obey

Leviticus 9:6 & 24

And Moses said, "This is what the LORD has commanded you to do so that the glory of the LORD may appear to you."...Fire blazed forth from the LORD'S presence and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When the people saw this, they shouted with joy and fell face down on the ground.

If I expect to see the Lord at work in my life, then I need to be doing what he has commanded me to do. We cannot expect to see the glory without first being obedient.

1 Samuel 15:22-23

But Samuel replied:

"What is more pleasing to the LORD:

your burnt offerings and sacrifices

or your obedience to his voice?

Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice,

and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.

Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft,

and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.

So because you have rejected the command of the LORD,

he has rejected you as king."

Lord, help me to always be obedient to what you tell me to do. I obey you because I know and love you. And because I want more of your presence in my life. I want to please you, Lord. I want to live in constant sweet fellowship with you. In Jesus' name, amen.

MEMORY VERSES

Christ Paid the Penalty

1 Peter 3:18

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.

1 Peter 3:18

Christ Paid the Penalty

Christ Paid the Penalty

1 Timothy 2:5

For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 2:5

Christ Paid the Penalty

Use Me

Leviticus 8:22-24 Then Moses presented the other ram, which was the ram of ordination. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the ram's head, and Moses slaughtered it. Then Moses took some of its blood and applied it to the lobe of Aaron's right ear, the thumb of his right hand, and the big toe of his right foot. 

Moses applied the blood like this to Aaron and each of his sons. The application of the blood meant that God had the use and control of them; everything they heard, everything they did and everywhere they went. God had the use of their ears, hands, and feet.

Lord, I'm wondering why you didn't include their eyes and mouths? Those are two of the things we most need your help to control.

Lord, I want you to have the use of my ears, eyes, mouth, hands, and feet. I want you to have the use of every part of me and my whole being. I trust you to use me in any way you see fit. Even for the most glamorous and undignified of purposes. I love you, Lord! In Jesus' name, amen. 

MEMORY VERSES

Christ Paid the Penalty

1 Peter 3:18

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.

1 Peter 3:18

Christ Paid the Penalty

Christ Paid the Penalty

1 Timothy 2:5

For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 2:5

Christ Paid the Penalty

My Daily Bread

Leviticus 7:13-15
"This peace offering of thanksgiving must also be accompanied by loaves of bread made with yeast. One of each kind of bread must be presented as a gift to the LORD. It will then belong to the priest who splattered the blood of the peace offering against the altar. The meat of the peace offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the same day it is offered. None of it may be saved for the next morning."

Bread represents our daily sustenance and God's provision. So it is appropriate that it should accompany the peace offering of thanksgiving. God gives us our exact daily portion so we don't need to attempt to hoard anything for future use.

Lord, it is so cool that you showed this to me on the very day of the big shopping spree. Many of us have freely given our of our abundance, to give for free to others who may have need. But the greatest need of many of these women is to have YOU in charge of their lives.

Lord, I will have the chance today to take many things that are being given away for free. Help me to not have a greedy mindset. Help me to remember that I have a Lord who gives me my daily bread so I don't have to go grabbing whatever I can get. I love you so much!! In Jesus' name, amen.

MEMORY VERSES

Christ Paid the Penalty

1 Peter 3:18

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.

1 Peter 3:18

Christ Paid the Penalty

Christ Paid the Penalty

1 Timothy 2:5

For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 2:5

Christ Paid the Penalty

The Fire Must Never Go Out

Leviticus 6:12-13
"Meanwhile, the fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must never go out. Each morning the priest will add fresh wood to the fire and arrange the burnt offering on it. He will then burn the fat of the peace offerings on it. Remember, the fire must be kept burning on the altar at all times. It must never go out."

I must keep the fire on the altar of my heart burning for you, Lord. It is up to me to add fresh wood every morning, by spending time with you. I need to arrange the burnt offering by the sacrifice of my time, sleep, energy or whatever you ask me to give. I burn the fat of the peace offering to maintain my fellowship with you.

2 Timothy 1:5-7

I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you. This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

Revelation 3:15-16

"I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!

Lord, I don't ever want my fire for you to go out! I will continue to buy gold from you that has been purified with fire. I will buy white garments from you to cover my nakedness. I will buy ointment for my eyes so I will be able to see.

I will listen for your knock so that we can fellowship together. When my heart hears you say, "Come and talk with me," it will respond, "Lord, I am coming." In Jesus' name, amen.

MEMORY VERSES

Christ Paid the Penalty

1 Peter 3:18

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.

1 Peter 3:18

Christ Paid the Penalty

Christ Paid the Penalty

1 Timothy 2:5

For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 2:5

Christ Paid the Penalty

He Guides My Heart!

Leviticus 5:1
"If you are called to testify about something you have seen or that you know about, it is sinful to refuse to testify, and you will be punished for your sin."

It's funny how personal experience can make a verse like this jump right off the page. Earlier this year, I saw from my living room window our young neighbor's boyfriend abusing her. I called the police who came and later wanted a statement from me. 

A week or two later I got a call from an attorney who asked if I would be willing to testify in court if needed. This person also took my statement. I have yet to be called to give my testimony in court. But I've always felt kind of guilty for saying that I would and afraid to actually do it. Yet, somehow I knew it was the right thing to do.

Now I have it in no uncertain terms, right here in my Bible. If I do eventually get called to testify about what I saw, I'll have no excuse to refuse.

Psalm 37:23-24
The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble they will not fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand.

Lord, it's comforting and reassuring to realize that you were guiding my heart in the right direction even when I wasn't totally sure of what to do. Please continue to direct my steps and guide every detail of my life. Then even if I stumble I will not fall, for you hold me by the hand. I'm so in love with you!! In Jesus' name, amen.

MEMORY VERSE

Christ Paid the Penalty

Romans 5:8

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

Christ Paid the Penalty

Christ Jesus, Our High Priest

Leviticus 4:31
"Then he must remove all the goat's fat, just as he does with the fat of the peace offering. He will burn the fat on the altar, and it will be a pleasing aroma to the LORD. Through this process, the priest will purify the people, making them right with the LORD, and they will be forgiven"

Dear Lord, I'm so thankful that we no longer have to rely on human priests to secure our forgiveness through the blood of animals. Christ Jesus is now my High Priest and he has once and forever secured my redemption with his own blood.

Hebrews 9:11-12
So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. With his own blood - not the blood of goats and calves - he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever.

I praise you, Jesus, for giving your life for me! Please help me to show my unending, inexpressible gratitude by daily taking up my cross, dying to myself and living for you! In Jesus' powerful name, amen.

MEMORY VERSE

Christ Paid the Penalty

Romans 5:8

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

Christ Paid the Penalty

My Peace Offering

Leviticus 3:1
"If you present an animal from the herd as a peace offering to the Lord, it may be a male or female, but it must have no defects."

Peace offerings were given to show gratitude to God and to continue in fellowship with him. Lord, you have given me such extravagant love and blessings, I don't want my expression of thankfulness to be cheap. Just as David refused to present a burnt offering to You, that cost him nothing, Lord, my gift of gratitude should not cost me nothing.

2 Samuel 24:24
But the king replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the LORD my God that have cost me nothing."

Lord, years ago, you used this very verse in 2 Samuel to speak to me about getting up earlier to spend time with you. I believe that you are saying the same thing to me again. I still haven't learned this lesson.

Lord, you know how precious my sleep is to me. Yet, YOU are even MORE precious to me. Help me to put my sinful flesh to death and get up earlier in spite of how tired I may be. I praise you for how you have spoken to me! In Jesus' wonderful name, amen.

MEMORY VERSE

Christ Paid the Penalty

Romans 5:8

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

Christ Paid the Penalty

Have the Qualities of Salt Among Yourselves

Leviticus 2:13
Season all your grain offerings with salt to remind you of God's eternal covenant. Never forget to add salt to your grain offerings.

The mini-commentary in my Bible says that salt was given as a gift to confirm the durability and imperishable nature of an agreement or contract in the ancient Middle East. Every time a grain offering was brought, it was a reminder of God's covenant with his people.

Jesus said that we must have the qualities of salt among ourselves.

Mark 9:50
"Salt is good for seasoning. But if it looses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? You must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other."

What are the qualities of salt??
seasons                   preserves
purifies                   causes thirst
heals                      treats dehydration

Lord, help me to remember to add salt to my daily offering to you! Help me to be pure in my thinking and conduct. Help my speech to be seasoned with salt and have a healing effect on those I speak to. Help the words I say and my life to cause others to thirst for YOU and to refresh the thirsty and spiritually dehydrated. In Jesus' name, amen.

MEMORY VERSE

Christ Paid the Penalty

Romans 5:8

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

Christ Paid the Penalty

Just as the LORD had Commanded

Exodus 39:42-43
So the people of Israel followed all of the LORD'S instructions to Moses. Then Moses inspected all their work. When he found it had been done just as the LORD had commanded him, he blessed them.

Lord, it's refreshing to see something that the Israelites did right while in the desert. This verse comes at the end of Chapter 39. Then in Chapter 40:16 it says, "Moses proceeded to do everything just as the LORD had commanded him." Then this paragraph and the next five paragraphs are ended with the phrase, "Just as the LORD had commanded him."

It becomes painfully obvious that You are not only concerned with our obedience but also that we do things just as You command us. We need to be sure that we obey You completely, not half-heartedly. We need to make certain that we follow Your instructions to the letter.

When we do this, we will be blessed and Your presence will go with us, just as the cloud covered the Tabernacle and Your glory filled it when the people did everything just as You commanded them.

Thank you, Lord, for how you have spoken to me this morning. Help me to follow Your instructions just as you command me. I adore you!!! In Jesus' name, amen.

MEMORY VERSE

Christ Paid the Penalty

Romans 5:8

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

Christ Paid the Penalty