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Heavenly Headcount

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Appleton, WI

Today’s Devotion: Numbers 26

This is the beginning of a new section of the Book of Numbers and my bible labels this chapter as census and rules. The new generation is preparing to enter the land. The remainder of the Book of Numbers is about this preparation.

When I drive by those signs that tell us what the population is, I’m always fascinated by that number. I know it this the population that was recorded according to our latest census, but counting every adult on the planet is no easy task and it’s constantly changing. There is a small town that we pass through when we go to my in-laws house that reads population = 23. After all the years of driving past that sign and through that little town, I have often thought about going around to introduce myself to those 23 people and asking them what it means to them to be so significant? 23 is such a small number, but the fact that they live there and their population sign records it tells me that every one of them matters. In the sign above, I matter… I’m one of 70, 078!

I know, I have too much time on my hands, but truth is… someone took the time to count and tax payer dollars were spent to publish that number on their sign. So why does it matter? It matters because we matter to God.

Numbers 26:51 says, “The total number of the men of Israel was 601,730.” The census determined that number. Sad thing is, that throughout the book of Numbers we lost a lot of people to sin, selfishness, greed, impatience, complaining and discontentment. The number is actually 1,800 few than the previous census that was taken back in Leviticus.

So here’s the deal, or at least my interpretation of what God is telling us today. You matter. We matter. We, collectively, make up mankind. God created us; every man, woman and child. This is our life to live, but we are His people called to live according to His purpose and plan. New Year’s Day was yesterday and many of us are going out in the world today (back to work, school, regular routine) with the intentions of being better people that we were last year or even a day ago. This is great, but we need to keep our focus on God, not ourselves. What is His plan to fulfill through us, what is He going to do to transform your heart this year and how can you most effectively do that? As we represent one human being in the headcount of believers, let’s exercise our significance and get out there and matter… For Christ’s sake.

Permissive Will of God

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Today’s Devotion: Numbers 22

I’m on the verge of a major life decision and God puts Numbers 22 in my path. He’s amazing that way. I teach my kids in Sunday school that praying is how we talk to God. Reading His Word is how He talks to you. Then sometimes, what He tells you isn’t what you want to hear.

So here I am. Reading Numbers 22 and realizing that God permits us to make our own decisions. There is His will and then there is our will. In verse 20, “That night God came to Balaam and said, ‘Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you.'” In other words, God is saying, “All right, you want to go and before it is through you will go, but if you go, you are to say what I want you to say. Be careful of that.” We have here what is known as the permissive will of God. He permits us many times to do something that we insist on doing when it is not in His direct will. You remember how we learned from the children of Israel that God granted their request but sent leanness to their souls. Sometimes He also grants our requests and sends leanness to our souls.

So am I making a decision outside of the will of God? Yes! Months ago this seemed like a great idea and I was fully convicted that it was something God was leading me to do. Now, here I am, the day before I’m about the pull the metaphoric trigger and I hold a great deal of anxiety wondering why I have such apprehension to follow through? I have Christian friends on both sides of the fence – Friends who ardently oppose and those who know God uses people and circumstances for His good. I have sought wise counsel and prayed, but there are risks to say ‘yes’ to my decision and there are an equal number of risks to say ‘no.’ Nothing God can’t handle, of course, but as you know if we are living outside of the will of God we cannot/will not be blessed.

Heavy stuff here today and a chapter and verse put here just for me today. I guess you get to read it to make your own interpretation, but as for me, I need to get on bended knee and seek the LORD’s clarity today so I don’t make a mistake. If you could pray about it, even though I’m been very vague… God will hear you and I believe will help guide me.  Thank you!

Don’t Go There

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Today’s Devotion: Numbers 14

Have you ever been in a conversation, when all of a sudden the topic at hand takes a turn and the person stops you and says, “Don’t go there!” These are words that say, “Stop, you have crossed a boundary and this is not something that needs to be brought up.” I thought of this phrase as I read Numbers chapter 14. When Moses and Aaron warned the Israelites to stop going to the land of Canaan because God wasn’t with them – but they didn’t listen. Look at verse 41-42a, “But Moses said, “Why are you disobeying the LORD’s command? This will not succeed! Do not go up, because the LORD is not with you. You will be defeated by your enemies.”

If these words have a tone to them, I hear them pleading. Not just asking, not just saying – pleading. At this point they had turned from the land (future), but as they face the wilderness (present), they are actually more afraid of the wilderness (past) than they had been afraid of entering the land. In other words, they fear their past more than they fear the future so they proceed to pursue the future, but forgot one important component…. God!

The message that I take away is that we shouldn’t be so discontent in our present that we press on to change ourselves, our future and our circumstances without God. God needs to be our leader and our guide. He can work in our current circumstances and He can take us where we want to go, but His timing is everything. If we go alone and He is not with us, our plans will not succeed.

Please pray with me.

Father God. There is a big gap between where we are and where we want to be. The past and present is certain to us – it is our reality, while our future is unknown. You ask us to walk  by faith and not by sight, which propels us to leap to the future and trust that you will deliver us from our current circumstances and have a brighter future, but what if you’re not there? What if we act in accordance to our will and not your will, in faith, that you will make all things work for the good? Let us not be ignorant, as the Israelities acted in Numbers chapter 14. We don’t want to be ungrateful, disobedient servants. We have hearts to honor and obey you, but we also know that you desire good for us. Please give us the discernment to hear your call, patience to wait on your timing, and courage to proceed according to your will. Father, please be the lamp unto our feet and the light unto our paths. ~Amen!”

More “You” and Less “Me”

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Humility

Today’s Devotion: Numbers 12

A short chapter that is packed with teaching, but my favorite is found in verse 3 “(Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)”  Not only are the words themselves saying something, but the fact that they are in parentheses gives it extra attention and emphasis.

So we’re kicking off the new week with humility. I think that is an excellent way to start. As we approach our work, families and trials that we face (and any number of them that could be), I think it is a great place to enter the day and week.

My family has a Christmas tradition. Every December we read a chapter a day in the book of Luke. There are 24 days until Christmas and 24 chapters of Luke. I love this yearly reminder of the story of Jesus – his birth, life, and resurrection. It truly brings the meaning of Christmas to the forefront of the chaotic season. Sure, this is a random tangent, but I do have a point. My point is that we just read Luke chapter 14 and the majority of the chapter is about humility – taking the lowest seat at the banquet table, the cost of being a disciple and verse 11 says it best, “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

So how can we be humble today. To me, humility means to esteem others not yourself. To make everyone around you feel significant, valuable, appreciated and accepted. Using the word “I” less and “You” more. Serving others and seeking ways to meet their needs rather than your own and giving credit, not taking credit.

The bible has a lot to say about humility and God clearly loves humility, especially in Moses as taught in Numbers chapter 12. I think the fact that Moses was recognized for it is for us to know that it is a character trait that God wants and we need to be. Let’s proceed confidently into the day with humility.

Get In YOUR Place

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Today’s Devotion: Numbers 2

Numbers 2:1 – 2 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron: “The Israelites are to camp around the tent of meeting some distance from it, each of them under their standard and holding the banners of their family.”

What is your standard and if you had a banner for your family, what would it say?

God has Moses gather all the families to surround the tabernacle in a specific order and each of them is allowed to represent themselves according to how they want to be represented. This is God’s army of people who He gathered. I’m so fascinated by the order and even more fascinated by God’s logic. God really has things all figured out.

It makes me realize that God has each of us in a specific place in the world, at a specific time and for a specific purpose. We need to be who were are. Have you given up on trying to be what everyone else wants you to be? I became a Christian about 10 years ago and I learned that my life wasn’t created to be molded into what the world wanted me to be, I was created for a specific purpose that God created me to be.

That was the day I stopped taking anti-depressants. I didn’t need them anymore. When I was working hard to fit in and be what I thought the world wanted me to be, I was burdened so heavily that it was actually doing me harm. Once I came to accept who I was, in Christ, and focus on doing what God created me to be and do, I was set free from that bondage of pain, suffering, depression, anxiety and stress.

Not sure how all of that came out of my reading of Numbers chapter 2, but I was prompted to write it. Perhaps to encourage you today? For whatever reason God laid that on my heart, I hope you can be encouraged that God is with us and it’s such a beautiful picture to know we are exactly where he wants us and it is our turn to create our standard and hold our banner that best represents who we are.

Thanksgiving Day Perspective

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Thanks

Today’s Devotion: Leviticus 27

What is better?

  • When someone does something for you out of obligation or does something for you out of generosity?
  • When someone does something because you tell them to or because they want to?
  • When someone does the bare minimum or goes above and beyond?
  • When someone does something and brags about it or something that has been done and is a mystery as to how it happened?
  • When someone gives you something because you asked for it or someone who gives you something because they want you to have it?

I think you will make the same choices as I would – they seem obvious. As I was reading the 27th Chapter of Leviticus it seemed as though this chapter was out of place. Then I realized that in all of the preceding chapters of this book, God had mandated laws, while in chapter 27 the laws given are voluntary – It’s like an addendum that God is saying, “Not because you have to, but if you want to.”

It’s Thanksgiving morning and I am reflecting on all of the blessings that I have in my life. Then I take all of my blessings and correlate what God is trying to teach me in Chapter 27. Here is my conclusion…

We aren’t bound by those same laws because we live Leviticus Chapter 27 kind of lives.

  • God gave us His son to die on the cross for our sin; not because we we told him too, but Jesus is God’s gift to us.
  • We do not nor should we live our lives out of obligation, but because we love Him.
  • We live by the law, not because He commands us to, but because we want to honor Him for what He has done for us.
  • We can go through the motions of living a Christian life or we can live humbly, as if we don’t deserve what Jesus did for us on the cross.
  • We can surrender our lives as an act of worship and live each day in gratitude and thanksgiving or we can work hard at living a perfect life, only to fall short and grow defeated.

On this Thanksgiving day, as you are taking an inventory of all of your blessings, please don’t neglect to recognize that loving God and how we love God is voluntarily. He doesn’t command it – it’s optional, just like the laws in chapter 27 are optional. We do it because we want to, choose to, and desire to.

May God bless you and your family abundantly on this day of Thanksgiving.

Shut Your Mouth!

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Shut Your Mouth

Today’s Devotional: Leviticus 24

There is a pretty significant message that God is giving us in Leviticus 24 that seems to over shadow the importance of the ever burning lamp stand. That message is, “Do not curse or blaspheme God!”

God doesn’t even mince words about how He feels about it either, Leviticus 15-16, “Say to the Israelites: ‘Anyone who curses their God will be held responsible; anyone who blasphemes the name of the LORD is to be put to death. The entire assembly must stone them. Whether foreigner or native-born, when they blaspheme the Name they are to be put to death.'”

What does that say about our filthy mouths? It tells me that my mouth can get me into some serious trouble. James has a lot to say about our mouths/tongue in James 3:3-6, “When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.”

I guess this is a great reminder to begin the week. A message from God to refrain from harsh words, that includes swearing or using God’s name in vain. We can’t worship God with the devotion and reading of His Word and then misuse His name as we communicate who He is to the World.

I’m talking to me (maybe more-so) as much as I’m talking to you today. Let’s use our words wisely and show the world, we are His people, His children, His ambassadors and His chosen.

 

Get On Your Holy Pedestal

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Pastor In You

Today’s Devotion: Leviticus 21

Pastors have a special place in my heart. I admire them for their leadership, commitment to the LORD and knowledge of God’s Word. As much as I admire them, I carry a burden for them because they carry a huge weight on their shoulders. They are who God entrusted to us, to teach us biblical truths and lead us the ways of righteous living – and their own lives as being an example to us. I would argue that a Pastor has the hardest, most significant, highest calling, greatest responsibility than any other human being that lives. If you’re a Pastor and you’re reading this, I hope you know and appreciate what you are because you ARE a big deal! What you hold is NOT a position or job to take lightly.

That being said, let’s shift gears for a second. What about you? If you are a believer and profess to be a follower of Jesus Christ – What does Leviticus 21 have to say to you? Well, a lot! As a believer you are considered a saint. Look what my friends at gotquestions.org have to say about this, “The idea of the word “saints” is a group of people set apart for the Lord and His kingdom.” That might make you swallow hard as the responsibility of a Pastor or Priest suddenly becomes more real, and applicable, to you. Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/saints-Christian.html#ixzz2lHLfJ4ac.

My point is this. Each one of us has a responsibility in word, thought, act, and deed to live as followers of Christ. Leviticus 21 spells out the expectations of the Priest role, but the entire bible spells out examples, commands, guidelines and laws on how we (believers) should live.

Our lives are living testimonies (Romans 12:1-2). As I read Leviticus 21, I am not making a mental checklist of whether or not my Pastor fits the bill, I’m evaluating whether or not I fit the bill. Am I worthy of being labeled a believer in and follower of Chris? It’s a sobering perspective, but a true honor to represent my LORD and Savior in the time God gave me to live on this earth. The best part…. we don’t have to do it alone. We have each other, the body of Christ, and together we are God’s church and representation of our living God to the world.

I Am Free

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Today’s Devotion: Leviticus 17

These instructions were not for Moses and Aaron alone, but they were also for the sons of Aaron and for the entire nation of Israel. It is obvious that God is reaching now into the personal and private lives of the people. He not only made a difference between the clean and unclean animals in chapter 11, but now He puts down the regulations by which they were to eat the clean animals. In other words, the lives of His people are to be different from that of non-believers.

What is this saying about our lives? How is our life different from others? I guess that all depends, right? It is one thing to say we are believers, but another to act like we are. The single greatest differentiator is that we believe Jesus died on the cross to cover our sin where His blood was shed for us. We live out that belief in the way we conduct our lives – surrendered to a Holy God who provided that forgiveness to undeserving souls, like ours.

Leviticus 17:14, “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.'” Once again, the tie to the New Testament is evident. The life of the flesh is in the blood and Jesus is saying that we are to accept His shed blood for our sins in faith and then we receive life. Jesus shed His blood and gave His life. The life is in the blood. Without it, we are cut off from God, prohibited from ever entering heaven.

This is a great, eternal truth. This explains why Abel’s sacrifice was more excellent than Cain’s. It is the blood that makes an atonement (a covering) for the soul. The blood of Christ is the only thing that can wash away sin. There is nothing offensive about the blood; the offense is in our sin.

Here I sit on an early Saturday morning trying to put this into perspective and make it comprehensible for my own mind to grasp. I conclude that this message is a reminder that God was trying to protect the Isrealites from themselves. If left to ourselves, we are also vulnerable and He wants to protect us too. Another one of the many reasons to honor God with our lives. I value that God’s Word has given me/us this perspective to begin our day. I am free to live!

Secret Sin

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Today’s Devotion: Leviticus 15

Oh boy! This chapter is a dusey. As I’m reading, I’m thinking, “How do I create a blog over this one – this stuff makes me uncomfortable?” Then, it occurred to me – it’s private and personal, not something people talk about open and freely – it is uncomfortable! I believe God is pointing out that there are some things that each one of us deals with that we keep to ourselves, namely sin.

So let’s go there, let’s call it out. I’m sure that most of our sins are kept a secret from the outside world. After all, nobody wants to be known as a thief, rapist, liar, adulteress, gossip, or murderer. You know what I’m talking about, those skeletons in our closet.

God wants us to be aware that even our secret sin needs to be dealt with. He is fully aware that they are there and if we try to hide them, especially from Him, we are only kidding ourselves. We need to come clean and deal with them. The apostle Paul says that we are in bondage or slaves to sin. Slaves are trapped and we, as slaves, are controlled by sin, but worse, when we sin we are further hunted or in bondage to guilt, grief, depression, regret, anger, paranoia and pain. Then we act it out through more sin; rage, withdrawal, addiction, short tempers, etc. It’s a perpetual cycle of ugliness until God is allowed in to clean our mess up.

So as uncomfortable and seemingly odd that this chapter would be in God’s Word, I can see now that He wants us to recognize that He is aware of every dirty one of our sins and we are only kidding ourselves to think we can continue living that way. There is no such thing as a secret sin so come clean with God and let Him make it right.