June 1 - Day 8

I must admit as I started Leviticus today I had a bad attitude. I was thinking... "here we go." As traditionally this has not been the most exciting book of the Bible for me to read. I remember going through it in BSF several years ago and I was fascinated how much it pointed toward Christ and the New Testament. Yet, I get lost in what sacrifice is for what and who can eat it and what to do with it.

This time as I was reading it more for the story and less for the symbolism I found myself thinking very similarly to yesterday. There is so much detail here and it is all instructions from God to Moses, how in the world did they ever remember it all. Just like the instructions for the tabernacle we see God telling Moses, and Moses telling the Priests and the priests doing as God instructed. We also see the consequences of doing what God didn't instruct... in the examples of Nadab and Abihu who paid with their life for offering unholy fire.

As I was wrestling with what God was teaching me today a familiar phrase came new to me... Lev 11:44 and again in Lev 44: 45... "I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy... therefore be holy, because I am holy."

I must remember at all times God did not call me to be happy. Certainly the priests on their own accord couldn't have been happy killing animals and disposing of guts all the time. Yet, because they served the lord, the recognized that it wasn't happiness God was after it was Holiness. And Holiness demands a sacrifice. In this case, there were multiple types of sacrifices. Is it not any different today? How the world has it all wrong. Many people pursue happiness... and in the process forfeit their holiness. I often pursue happiness and forget that God is not interested in my happiness.... He is calling me to be holy because He is holy and that is the only way I can have true fellowship with him.

A real practical application today. This morning I was awakened at 5:00 on a Sunday by my 3 year old. She was coughing and couldn't go back to sleep. I'm not real happy at 5:00 am anyway but evermore so on a Sunday morning. What made it worse was that the alarm wasn't due to go off until 5:45. Since it was already 5:00 it wasn't hardly worth it to go back to bed until 5:45 and I knew if I slept in beyond that I wouldn't have time today to spend in the Word and praying. Likewise it always seems if I don't prepare myself and seek God's protection for our family on Sunday mornings, Satan attacks our family as we prepare to head off to church... but that is a different story. So here I am at 5:00 grumbling about not being happy... and I read this and realize God could care less right now... He has things He needs to tell me.. and it is all about pursuing Holiness. That certainly got my attention and made my reading much more practical.

Now it is after 10:00 pm on Sunday night and I'm preparing myself for the workday to come tomorrow morning. I certainly don't feel happy about returning to work tomorrow because I know the piles of things I left on Friday afternoon are still there waiting for me. Yet I know that God isn't interested in my happiness. However I choose to pursue Holiness and will seek Him as I end today and start tomorrow because He alone is my hope and strength.