honor God – Page 7 – Be Still…

Deuteronomy 18:1-8 – Take Care of Your Priests

I wonder why God chose the Levites to be tribe appointed as priests. Levi wasn’t the first born of Jacob but the third to Leah. And interesting that the Levites received no land as the other descendants did. Instead, their inheritance was much richer. “The Lord himself is their special possession, just as he promised them.” That is a precious inheritance to be sure. God’s hand of protection was upon them.

I wonder if that’s why some churches moved to having parsonages for pastors. That is, a home provided by the church. It makes perfect sense to me. If those men of God are leading the church, similar to the Levites they would be cared for by the people. Having lived in a parsonage, I know the honor I felt for having that provided for us.

Deuteronomy 16:1-8 – The Passover

Read Deuteronomy 16:1-8

I like reading about the Passover tradition that Moses speaks of because it is one of those traditions we still see celebrated today by the Jewish community. I realize other festivals are also celebrated and commemorated, but it seems like the Passover, like Hanukkah, is more visible to non-Jews.

In particular, I experienced a seder meal before as presented by a Jewish Christian group years ago. I have also shared that tradition a time or two with children as part of our children’s ministry programming. These are traditions that Jesus would have celebrated with his family and friends. Somehow, just imagining that brings the festival to life for me, too. As a Christ follower, it makes our relationship more intimate, at least to me, to understand his upbringing and tradition.

Deuteronomy 15:19-23 – Another Way to Honor God

Read Deuteronomy 15:19-23

Can you imagine the tracking system needed to keep track of every animal’s childbearing schedule? Maybe I’m the only one who is a little awed by this. I totally understand how the people were to honor God with their first fruits, and that easily translates into our world today with our salaries as well as the bounty from our land. But to me, a cow is a cow is a cow. Obviously, this Iowa girl didn’t spend much time on a farm. I’m guessing that just like we can tell our pets apart, farmers could tell their flocks apart.

That being said, it must still be quite a feat to remember if Bessie has had a litter before so that her first born can be set aside for the Lord. Did the farmers feel like this was a hardship? What if they made a mistake and missed one, or set aside a second born son? Maybe we sometimes feel like we are facing difficulty in keeping ourselves on track, living a faithful life, resisting temptation so we can live God-honoring lives. I’m pretty sure I’m missing the point Moses is trying to make here. We need to let go of details like this when they distract us.

2 Corinthians 3:1-6 – Worthy of Praise

Read 2 Corinthians 3:1-6

How many times do we toot our own horns? We can often get so full of ourselves and our abilities we lose sight of where that gifting came from. We are who we are because God made us this way. We are also shaped by circumstance and the realities we face as inhabitants of this planet. We are given the ability to choose our path and live our lives on our terms.

What does that look like for you? Are you feeling fulfilled? Do you know without a doubt that you are living the life God intended for you? Do you even care? This may seem a bit harsh, but I am curious how many people are just going through the motions and how many are truly focused on being who God wants them to be.