Here is my SOAP devotional for March 17th
S - Leviticus 10:10-11
"You are to distinguish between what is holy and what is ordinary, what is ceremonially unclean and what is clean. And you must teach the Israelites all the laws that the Lord has given through Moses."
O - My Life Application Bible footnotes say that this passage is the focus of the entire book of Leviticus. These guidelines and principles were to supplement the 10 commandments. The purpose of God's law was to teach the people how to distinguish between right and wrong, the holy from the common. The Iraelites needed to be taught these things because they had never had the law before. They were to set themselves apart from neighboring peoples.
A - It is hard for me to imagine a time before knowing "the law." For law-abiding people like me, it is hard to imagine having to be told all the details of these laws. I had to be taught the law at some time growing up I guess and now, even though I'm not perfect, staying within the law is a desire. And yet some of the sacrifice guidelines seem too much for me...so much detail seems irrelevant in the new covenant with Jesus. And still the whole focus REALLY is to be in relationship with the Lord and obedient to what God is calling us to do.
P - Lord, it seems tedious in some ways to read through Leviticus, but it makes me appreciate Jesus even more because we cannot possibly be perfect and I can't imagine how the Israelites followed these guidelines without making mistakes. But the law was necessary to set themselves apart and be holy and even today we need to be reminded to "not conform to the world." (Romans 12:2) Your word/law reminds us to distinguish right from wrong, otherwise we would slip into a "grey" area. Thank you God for the sacrifice you made in your son, Jesus. May I always remember and never forget to teach my children of following your ways and being obedient to you. May they learn from my example the importance of reading your word and seeking your will. Amen.
Showing posts with label sacrifice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sacrifice. Show all posts
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
I am the Tabernacle
My SOAP devotional for March 3rd
S - Exodus 25:8-9
"I want the people of Israel to build me a sacred residence where I can live among them. You must make this Tabernacle and its furnishings exactly according to the plans I will show you."
O - God wants to live among us. God could create a place for himself to dwell on earth but He wants us to build Him a place. The act of following His instructions and doing the work requires sacrifice and obedience which builds character in us and relationship with Him. This place is not just a building or a structure but it is sacred, meaning that we are to give it reverence and set it apart from just any ordinary structure. AND it is to be not just a "come and go" place but a residence, where God will reside, live, and be close to His people.
A - The ancient purpose of the tabernacle was to provide a place for the people to be close and receive counsel from God, to sacrifice and to worship. Still today we build buildings where we can do the very same. However, in the days of the new covenant, Jesus came to allow our hearts to be the new tabernacle. God wants to make a sacred residence in our hearts, mind, and body...to be a structure that symbolizes obedience, sacrifice and service to Him, the one who "built" us. He wants us to give our lives as a "spiritual act of worship" (Romans 12:1-2). We are to live our lives according to HIS plans.
P - Lord, make me a sacred residence, that you might dwell in me to follow YOUR plans in the precise way that you will show me. Amen.
S - Exodus 25:8-9
"I want the people of Israel to build me a sacred residence where I can live among them. You must make this Tabernacle and its furnishings exactly according to the plans I will show you."
O - God wants to live among us. God could create a place for himself to dwell on earth but He wants us to build Him a place. The act of following His instructions and doing the work requires sacrifice and obedience which builds character in us and relationship with Him. This place is not just a building or a structure but it is sacred, meaning that we are to give it reverence and set it apart from just any ordinary structure. AND it is to be not just a "come and go" place but a residence, where God will reside, live, and be close to His people.
A - The ancient purpose of the tabernacle was to provide a place for the people to be close and receive counsel from God, to sacrifice and to worship. Still today we build buildings where we can do the very same. However, in the days of the new covenant, Jesus came to allow our hearts to be the new tabernacle. God wants to make a sacred residence in our hearts, mind, and body...to be a structure that symbolizes obedience, sacrifice and service to Him, the one who "built" us. He wants us to give our lives as a "spiritual act of worship" (Romans 12:1-2). We are to live our lives according to HIS plans.
P - Lord, make me a sacred residence, that you might dwell in me to follow YOUR plans in the precise way that you will show me. Amen.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Spoon in my pocket
This is my SOAP devotional from March 2nd
S - Matthew 20:20-28
20Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.
21"What is it you want?" he asked.
She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom."
22"You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?"
"We can," they answered.
23Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father."
24When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers.
25Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
O - Jesus I think just smiles at his disciples sometimes when he sees their desire for greatness. He KNOWS they can't truly sacrifice the way He does and yet He does not condemn them. He reminds them that He is not like kings that boss their subjects around and tell everyone how important they are. He is not like Jack Nicholson who takes power into his own hands manipulating the law to meet what he sees as right and then tells them "You can't handle the truth!" when they question it. No, quite the opposite, Jesus reminds us that we are here to serve, and he models that with his own actions.
A - This passage always reminds me of one of the greatest leaders I've ever known personally, Dr. Gordon Anderson, former superintendent of Spring ISD. He truly lived this out as a great leader. I don't have first hand knowledge of how he lived his personal life, and I'm sure he wasn't perfect, but I have a feeling he was who he really was at work. He carried a spoon in his pocket and was in the schools EVERY day. He didn't just TELL people they were there to serve, he showed it by example. He knew my name, and I was just one employee among 100s if not 1000s, plus I knew many that said the same thing about him. He cared for people and was concerned that you had the support you needed to do your best job. He inspired me to BE my best, simply with his regular presence. There really hasn't been many leaders in my life that have inspired me as he did. To me this is how it is as a Christian with Jesus in my life every day, except it's not just a spoon in my pocket but His Spirit living IN me, in my heart and mind. His regular presence inspires me to serve and to WANT to do my best job in this world. Jesus didn't just come to earth, God in flesh, and tell us how to live, He lived it. He physically came down off His throne to serve us. How there are still people in this world that cannot see that and be humbled is beyond my comprehension.
P - You God are the creator, the sustainer, the all-powerful, mighty King of all Kings, and yet you are also the cripple, the lonely and the broken hearted because you are willing to put yourself in their place. How anyone could deny you is beyond me and yet we are ALL guilty of putting ourselves first, forgetting our place and denying your power. Oh that I would be humble enough to have compassion and truly serve those that need to be served. I WANT to give YOU my BEST!! Amen.
S - Matthew 20:20-28
20Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.
21"What is it you want?" he asked.
She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom."
22"You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?"
"We can," they answered.
23Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father."
24When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers.
25Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
O - Jesus I think just smiles at his disciples sometimes when he sees their desire for greatness. He KNOWS they can't truly sacrifice the way He does and yet He does not condemn them. He reminds them that He is not like kings that boss their subjects around and tell everyone how important they are. He is not like Jack Nicholson who takes power into his own hands manipulating the law to meet what he sees as right and then tells them "You can't handle the truth!" when they question it. No, quite the opposite, Jesus reminds us that we are here to serve, and he models that with his own actions.
A - This passage always reminds me of one of the greatest leaders I've ever known personally, Dr. Gordon Anderson, former superintendent of Spring ISD. He truly lived this out as a great leader. I don't have first hand knowledge of how he lived his personal life, and I'm sure he wasn't perfect, but I have a feeling he was who he really was at work. He carried a spoon in his pocket and was in the schools EVERY day. He didn't just TELL people they were there to serve, he showed it by example. He knew my name, and I was just one employee among 100s if not 1000s, plus I knew many that said the same thing about him. He cared for people and was concerned that you had the support you needed to do your best job. He inspired me to BE my best, simply with his regular presence. There really hasn't been many leaders in my life that have inspired me as he did. To me this is how it is as a Christian with Jesus in my life every day, except it's not just a spoon in my pocket but His Spirit living IN me, in my heart and mind. His regular presence inspires me to serve and to WANT to do my best job in this world. Jesus didn't just come to earth, God in flesh, and tell us how to live, He lived it. He physically came down off His throne to serve us. How there are still people in this world that cannot see that and be humbled is beyond my comprehension.
P - You God are the creator, the sustainer, the all-powerful, mighty King of all Kings, and yet you are also the cripple, the lonely and the broken hearted because you are willing to put yourself in their place. How anyone could deny you is beyond me and yet we are ALL guilty of putting ourselves first, forgetting our place and denying your power. Oh that I would be humble enough to have compassion and truly serve those that need to be served. I WANT to give YOU my BEST!! Amen.
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