One Year Bible - March 12
Scriptures to read:
Matthew 14:1-21; Leviticus 20-21; Proverbs 30
The whole narrative arc of Leviticus is rooted in God’s Holiness - and the consequences of sin. As God’s chosen people, the Israelites were called to live in the land, but to be “separated from the peoples” and not to “walk in the customs” of the other nations (Lev 20:23/24). In return, God promised the Israelites a “land flowing with milk and honey”, which since earliest times has been a symbol for unbounded opulence. In the same way, God wants to bless us with unimaginable abundance - and all He asks for in return is obedience.
Which, as we all know, is super hard! I’d be the first to raise my hand asking for a nice plot of land in a beautiful setting, and since I love coffee with milk and honey, I totally get the allure. But would I also stand up and say “Yes Lord, I commit to being obedient ALL the time”? If I’m honest, probably not. I, for one, often find myself wanting the blessings without the obedience, as I’m sure many of us might admit to as well.
As humans, though, we will never attain perfection, and that means we will never be fully obedient, adhering to every aspect of God's law, all of the time. Thankfully, Jesus came to earth and through his death on the Cross and resurrection, freed us once and for all from a works-based salvation. This fundamental promise - that we are saved by grace - and "not that of ourselves" (as Paul writes in Ephesians), is the ultimate promise of God, and the only promise we really need in this life for lasting satisfaction. Milk and honey, while delicious, is nice, but things on this earth will never provide the kind of permanent fulfillment and hope that only Jesus can truly provide to us.
Memory Verse: Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches, feed me with the food that is needful for me. - Proverbs 30:8
Prayer: O Lord, we so often get tied up in the pursuit of things on this earth, like money or other luxuries, that we think will satisfy us. Help us to remember, Lord, that only you can ever truly satisfy the deep longings of our soul. Thank you for the promise of your son, Jesus, and help us to glorify you with our time on this earth, until we experience the fullness of your promise in Heaven.
