Today's Bible Readings come from Matthew 14:22-36, Leviticus 22:1-33, Leviticus 23:1-44 and Proverbs 31:1-31.
In Matthew I learned "And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and brought to him all who were sick 36 and implored him that they might only touch the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well." All they wanted to do was touch the fringe of his cloak and doing so they were healed. The faith that takes eh? Think about it a moment.. would you have that faith that by merely touching the cloak that you would be made well again? That takes faith.
You know, when I read the book of Leviticus, I am amazed at how regulated the offerings to God were. No blemished animals, but if you had an animal with a part that wasn't quite right (too long or short) it could be a freewill offering but not a vow offering, you needed to count days in between offerings and so much more. It makes me SO GLAD that I don't live back in those times. I can imagine it was a bit mind-boggling for the people sometimes. Trying to follow the rules that God put into place.
Jesus died for me.
It took the need for all that away.
Reading through Leviticus is helping me realize even more what that means.
I no longer live under the law.
I live under grace.
I don't have to risk doing the wrong thing and being cast out of the people. That's not a concern that I bear.
Then in Proverbs. When I recognized what chapter it was I just wanted to stay away from it.. you know Proverbs 31 when we see a great woman at work. I feel so inadequate next to her, a standard held that I don't think I could ever meet and therefore don't even really want to try. BUT have you ever looked at the first few verses of this chapter?.
In Matthew I learned "And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and brought to him all who were sick 36 and implored him that they might only touch the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well." All they wanted to do was touch the fringe of his cloak and doing so they were healed. The faith that takes eh? Think about it a moment.. would you have that faith that by merely touching the cloak that you would be made well again? That takes faith.
You know, when I read the book of Leviticus, I am amazed at how regulated the offerings to God were. No blemished animals, but if you had an animal with a part that wasn't quite right (too long or short) it could be a freewill offering but not a vow offering, you needed to count days in between offerings and so much more. It makes me SO GLAD that I don't live back in those times. I can imagine it was a bit mind-boggling for the people sometimes. Trying to follow the rules that God put into place.
Jesus died for me.
It took the need for all that away.
Reading through Leviticus is helping me realize even more what that means.
I no longer live under the law.
I live under grace.
I don't have to risk doing the wrong thing and being cast out of the people. That's not a concern that I bear.
Then in Proverbs. When I recognized what chapter it was I just wanted to stay away from it.. you know Proverbs 31 when we see a great woman at work. I feel so inadequate next to her, a standard held that I don't think I could ever meet and therefore don't even really want to try. BUT have you ever looked at the first few verses of this chapter?.
1 The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him: 2 What are you doing, my son? What are you doing, son of my womb? What are you doing, son of my vows? 3 Do not give your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings. 4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink, 5 lest they drink and forget what has been decreed and pervert the rights of all the afflicted. 6 Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress; 7 let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more. 8 Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. 9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.
The words are pretty clear here. In a day when the mayor of Toronto is basically a drunk and has turned himself into a laughing stock, when I recall from Lord of the Rings a leader who liked to drink and thus left his land open to the bad guys to infiltrate.... Drinking and leadership do not go together. They don't. To be a good leader you need to be able to pay attention. If you don't, you are prone to neglect what is important. Leaders need to keep their attention focused, they need to speak for those who cannot, they need to defend the rights of the destitute, they need judge fairly and honestly. Leaders are to defend and LEAD, not lose themselves in unimportant venues (such as alcoholism). So if you lead... LEAD WELL. :)
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