Tag Archives: Sacrifice

Sin Is Dark – Be The Light

Posted in Daily Devotions: Chapter by Chapter by

Grim_reaper

Today’s Devotion: Leviticus 3

I began my collegiate career as an accounting major. Shockingly, my first class was Accounting 101 and I failed my first test – I was shocked! This was the basic stuff, simple debits and credits – this wasn’t supposed to happen. I went to the teacher and he said words that forever changed my life, “Perhaps an accounting career isn’t for you.”

I did what every confused college student would do, I called Mom. Mom did a self analysis of the job market and realized I had a higher probability of getting  a job as a nurse, so that was her recommendation. Once again, I was excited, guided and I enrolled in a bunch of labs my second semester – Biology, Chemistry and Anatomy, Oh My! I remember looking at my lab partner in Anatomy and she could barely wait to cut into that disgusting, formaldehyde smelling, slimy frog. I was literally ill. It was that moment that I knew the medical field wasn’t for me.

So I’m having this flashback as I’m reading Leviticus 3. This chapter gives a vivid description of the peace offering and its not a very pretty picture – at least to us. This pleased God and the reason sacrifice was necessary is because of sin, they didn’t have Jesus yet; God’s perfect sacrifice to cover their sin. This particular offering speaks of the communion and fellowship of believers with God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ. The only way you and I can come to God is through Jesus Christ. He is the Way!

God never accepted the blood of bulls and goats as the final payment for sin, but He required that blood be shed. It was an atonement to cover over the sins until Christ came. In other words, God saved “on credit” in the Old Testament. When Christ came, as the hymn accurately states it, “Jesus paid it all.” This is true as far as the past is concerned, and as far as the present is concerned, and as far as the future is concerned.

Furthermore, I am reading this in the early morning of Halloween. Today is a day when my neighborhood will be busy with Zombies, Grim Reapers, and little Freddie’s. As you now know I’m not a fan of bloody gore and shouldn’t surprise you that I’m not a fan of Halloween either. I don’t like the dark side of this day – God is light in the darkness. Darkness represents sin and sin is disgusting, stinky, and slimy to God. Whether its killing animals who are without defect or our surrendered lives, there is no question that we need a savior – He gave one to us. Let’s give him our best today and be light in the darkness on this Halloween day.

The Devil Will Devour

Posted in Daily Devotions: Chapter by Chapter by

Roaring_Lion

Today’s Devotion: Exodus 38.

The construction of the tabernacle continues and this is a big deal. In the New Testament we have Christ and He became our sacrifice. In the Old Testament God is very deliberate about every detail of the tabernacle because it is the only way that the Israelities can to come to God and repent of their sins.

One thing that I wondered as I read Exodus 38 this morning is, “Where is the devil in all of this?”  In all the components of the tabernacle and God’s carefully articulated plan reminds me of the old saying, “The devil is in the details.” In this case…. I don’t think so. There is no mention of him. You don’t read that the devil comes along to confuse God’s instructions, cause delays in the project, cause friction and discord between the workers or mess with God’s order, or is he?

This is only my speculation so you can do with it as you wish, but I have a hunch that the devil is working on the Israelities. There are thousands of people in the desert with Moses. God is giving them a tabernacle because THEY NEED IT! The devil is Bizzzzzzy on those Israelites, God just isn’t giving any attention to him for the time being.

You see, the way I’m personalizing this message is that I get up every morning, go to God’s Word. I pray, study, blog, and allow God’s word expand my biblical world view – Yet – the devil is just waiting his turn. He knows I’m prone to sin so when given the chance to do something contrary to how God teaches me to live my life, he’s ready to pounce. Look at Peter’s warning in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

So even though God isn’t acknowledging the devil in this pages doesn’t mean he isn’t there. Oh, he’s there alright. Not that we want to give the devil any time and attention in our lives either, but we also can’t be naive that he is waiting to take us down with discouragement, disbelief, doubts, fear and any other obstacle he can put in our way to distract us from what is important… God. We need to keep our focus on the Lord, so much so, that there just isn’t a reason to mention the devil or allow him the opportunity to intrude on God’s plan for our lives and construction in our hearts.