What’s your name?

When you were born you were given a name. Everyone is given a name. It is your very first assignment. “You shall be called—Jane. Hello Jane.” Some people are given the same names as others and some are given names that no one has ever heard of or can pronounce. No matter your name, it was given to you for a reason—a specific purpose—it’s yours. 

So far in the book of Numbers, God is recording the Israelites names and assigning duties. ”When their names were recorded, as the Lord had commanded through Moses, each man was assigned his task and told what to carry. And so the registration was completed, just as the Lord had commanded Moses” (Numbers 4:49 NLT). Every Israelite old enough was given a specific purpose, an important task. This particular scripture reminded me of how God has every single one of our names recorded. Not only does He know everyone by name, but He made you for a reason—a specific purpose.

We are all part of God’s amazingly incomprehensible plan, each with a unique role. Before you were born and given your name, God knew you and your purpose. Everyone has a purpose just like everyone has a name. 

Focus

Ok, the book of Numbers is full of a lot of unpronounceable names and very descriptive instructions. Although one verse in particular did stick out to me: ”God spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said, ‘The People of Israel are to set up camp circling the Tent of Meeting and facing it. Each company is to camp under its distinctive tribal flag’” (Numbers 2:1–2 MSG).  

No matter the route God may have you take, He always wants your focus on Him. He instructed the Israelites and their troops to either be on one side or the other of the Tent of Meeting, but no matter what side they were on, they all faced the center. We are all called for different purposes, directed down separate paths and destined for individual outcomes. One thing should always be the same—Our eyes forever facing Jesus. 

Let’s get personal.

Middle-school relationships are hilarious. You tell everyone you are boyfriend and girlfriend, yet you can’t drive so there are no dates. You never actually talk to each other, unless it’s in a note passed during class and yet you still gossip about how deep your love is. It seems you may be enjoying the title, not pursuing the actual relationship. 

High-school and college relationships are a bit less comical. You still tell everyone you are boyfriend and girlfriend, but are typically able to drive and may (or may not) initiate a date. You could be seen holding hands in the courtyard at lunch or possibly kissing heavily at the pep rally. You still pass notes in class and gossip about your profound love, but communication is present and a relationship built. 

What I have come to realize as of late, is I have had a middle-school relationship with Jesus when I should have been pursuing a high-school/college one. Not in the nasty sense that I want to heavily kiss Him behind the bleachers, but I desire communication and a relationship. God did not send His only Son to die the most gruesome death for us to simply enjoy the title of Christian, but to accept Him as our personal God. ”I’ll set up my residence in your neighborhood; I won’t avoid or shun you; I’ll stroll through your streets. I’ll be your God; you’ll be my people. I am God, your personal God who rescued you from Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians. I ripped off the harness of your slavery so that you can move about freely” (Leviticus 26:11–13 MSG). 

Jesus, I want to take my relationship with you to the next level. I do not want to simply bask in the title, but proclaim my sincere love for You to everyone on the playground. I want to be seen talking to You and walking with You so that everyone will know our relationship status. I will pursue You and I want to go steady forever.

Worry Wart

Worry is present in everyone at some point. Some serious worriers have actual physical side effects. Nail chomping, lip biting, hair pulling and even explosive diarrhea. I’m not 100% positive on the loose bowels, but worry does tend to lead to anxiety, which typically accompanies an antsy tummy. So how can we avoid short nails, cracked lips, a patchy head and a dirty toilet bowl? Easy—”Follow My decrees and be careful to obey My laws, and you will live safely in the land. Then the land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill and live there in safety” (Leviticus 25:18–19). As difficult as it may be to let go of our own uncertainties, God does say that we will live in safety and prosperity. What’s there to worry about?

Oh right…the economy changing, job loss, gas prices, unexpected illnesses, etc. The Israelites were worried about their welfare, food, health and safety too, but God said, ”I will send you such a blessing in the sixth year that the land will yield enough for three years” (Leviticus 25:21). We must trust that God will not only take care of our every need right now, but every need that pops up unexpectedly. Nothing is unexpected to God. “For God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything” (1 John 3:20). Let go of your worrisome tendencies and put your focus on the One who made your nails, hair, lips and rumbly innards.   

Double dare!

God’s promises are amazing. One in particular that blows my mind is how He promises to provide us with everything we need. “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after these things, and your Heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:31–33).

The crazy thing is, God has been doing this since the beginning of creation. He provided Adam with food, health and Eve. He provided Adam and Eve with clothing and food. He provided Noah with food, shelter from a flood and land. He provided Abraham with a son. He provided Moses with the words to say to the Israelites, and He provided the Israelites with freedom, a promised land and food from Heaven. “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest’” (Leviticus 23:9-10).

All that God asks for in return for providing us with everything, is the first tenth of what was His to begin with. “‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of Heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it’” (Malachi 3:10). God totally just double-dared you to trust Him and His ability to bless you. I can promise you, should you choose to accept God’s dare, the results will be amazing.

Welcome! Do come in.

Think of a situation where you have felt like a stranger—an outsider—a foreigner. Your first day at a new job…Being the fresh kid in class…Moving to a different city or state where you do not know anyone. All settings that can make you feel alone, intimidated and potentially unwelcome. Wouldn’t it be nice if a friendly face would just invite you to lunch? Ask you to sit beside them? Offer to show you around the city?

The Israelites were strangers while living in Egypt. They were not welcome and felt alone and extremely intimidated. They were slaves for crying out loud! But God demanded better of the Israelites. “When a foreigner lives with you in your land, don’t take advantage of him. Treat the foreigner the same as a native. Love him like one of your own. Remember that you were once foreigners in Egypt. I am God, your God” (Leviticus 19:33–34 MSG). No matter how the Israelites had been treated in the past, God commanded more of them. He is the same God today as He was then, meaning He expects the same from you and me. 

How would you like for Jesus to greet you as a newcomer to Heaven? Would you like to feel alone, intimidated and potentially unwelcome? Next time you see a newbie, freshman, loner or guest, treat them like an old friend. Because an inviting welcome is always better than a confusingly judgmental glance (Matthew 7:23). 

Join the club

Motorcycle gangs are tough. Real tough. My husband and I watch Sons of Anarchy and now for some reason I really want a motorcycle. My need for speed and desire to punch someone in the face has never been stronger. These men run their city and can pretty much do whatever they want, most of which is illegal. They truly live by the beliefs and rules of their club. If someone were to disrupt Charming in a way that SAMCRO did not like, action would be taken at any cost. Every single member of the Sons lives for this Club, under the leadership of their President.

Go ahead and consider God your Club President. “You must obey My laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the Lord your God. Keep My decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. I am the Lord” (Leviticus 18:4-5). God commands us all to not only obey His rules, but to live by them. You don’t have to ride a motorcycle to be fully committed. A leather vest doesn’t make you more obedient. The Sons of Anarchy are emotionally involved in their Club and other brothers’ lives, making obedience to their sacred rules almost natural.

Are you emotionally involved with God? If you are, obedience should be voluntary, not forced. Do you want to live for God? If so, your obedience is mandatory. 

So fresh and so clean clean

A long shower is sometimes necessary. Depending on how long it took you to get dirty, it may take you awhile to become clean. As a child I played in muddy woods for hours and I can personally tell you that it took me a good while to get clean. There was dirt under my fingernails, in my hair and even behind my ears! Bleach and a fresh bar of soap were some of my mom’s best friends. But no matter how hard my mom or I scrubbed, some dirt would always remain. A spot on my shirt, a clump of dirt in my shoe, or a piece of earth still under my nail. 

There are tons of unclean items and people in Leviticus 14 and 15. Fungus and bodily discharges are all over the place. NASTY. Men and women are instructed to stay quarantined, bathe, wash their clothes and/or to not touch anyone or anything unless they want that person or item to also be unclean. And no matter how hard they scrubbed, they were certain to become unclean again. If only someone would invent a cleaning product that instantly cleanses and forever makes you white as snow. Hmmm…

“You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you” (John 15:3). You do not have to wait 7-10 days to become clean, nor are you required to soak your t-shirt in bleach. The instant Jesus Christ rose from the dead, “His appearance was like lightning, and His clothes were white as snow” (Matthew 28:3). Jesus is the best cleaning product ever! The second you receive Christ and believe He is your Savior for all eternity, YOU ARE CLEAN. You have been made white as snow (Psalm 51:7) and are good as new (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Thank you Jesus for getting dirty and dying on the cross so that I may become clean. Thank you for being my instant stain remover and ultimate cleaning product. My heart has never been cleaner and my future more bright.

Savior

Have you ever been saved by someone from something? Perhaps a bus almost hit you, a cat was about to scratch your leg super hard or a piano was falling right towards your dome from a 20-story building and someone dove to push your motionless body out of danger. Typically when a person sacrifices their life for another, they expect something in return. Maybe you will be reminded of their heroic gesture for the rest of your life. Your rescuer might decide to request payment, or always show up to your house during family dinners. It is very rare to have a defender who simply expects that you would do the same for them.  

“I am the Lord who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45). God rescued the Israelites from Egypt so that He could be their God and prosper them in a land of plenty. He is the only Savior who has and will never rescue anyone just to expect an award or recognition. He simply expects us to be holy, because He is holy. He is the ultimate Defender, only anticipating our gratitude and equal efforts. I am so thankful I have been saved by a Hero like no other. 

The Ultimate Offering

All of the burnt offerings and sacrifices made in Leviticus are important to make peace, atonement and absolution with God. It was commanded that blood must be spilled, smeared and used to cleanse the Israelites’ sin. “He washed the inner parts and the legs with water and burned the whole ram on the altar as a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma, an offering made to the Lord by fire, as the Lord commanded Moses” (Leviticus 8:21). Something had to die gruesomely everyday for the Israelites to continue living. 

And just the same, someone had to die for all of us to truly have life. “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2). Jesus died for all of our sins. His blood was smeared on all sides of the cross. He was the ultimate offering and sacrifice, extremely pleasing to God. He is forever our Atonement, Peace, Whole-Burnt, Ordination, Wave, Absolution, Grain, and Contribution-Offering. 

Thank you Jesus for loving me enough to die gruesomely so that I may have life in freedom from sin. 

I want to be Hot! Hot! Hot!

Leviticus 5-7 is packed with detailed information on how to present burnt offerings. As delicious as a chopped up goat sounds, I am very thankful that Jesus came as the ultimate sacrifice for all of our sins. I mean, could you really see your little sister ripping out the liver and kidneys of a freshly slaughtered bull because she disobeyed her mommy? Anyways. Thank you Jesus. But, in the midst of bloody explanation of offerings, one verse stuck out to me. “The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out” (Leviticus 6:13).

The Holy Spirit instantly reminded me of this little gem. “So, because you are lukewarm-neither hot nor cold-I am about to spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:16). Our fire for Jesus must be kept continuously burning or God Himself will spit us out. So why is it weird for so many “seasoned” believers to see a new believer on fire for God? Instead of critiquing their blazing fire, perhaps you should rekindle your own. 

Order up!

I have been a waitress before, so I have seen my fair share of picky eaters. “Would you be a dear and bring me ice water, but please no ice.”  ”Could I have a sprinkle of that sweet honey you put on your bread on my salad?” “Please, when you bring my steak out, you better make sure my potatoes are not touching it and are in a circle.” I love people, but some are just crazy when it comes to how they eat their food. Don’t they know it all is going to the same place and every item will be touching each other? Although no matter the request, I not once complained to their face or questioned their OCD, but simply fulfilled their request, accepted their reasons and received a generous tip.

In Leviticus 1-4, God is obviously at an all-you-can-eat buffet, and is specifically ordering His food. “I will take one lamb, but please remove its head, fat, liver and kidneys and fry those up separately. Sprinkle that with salt.” Awkward, but ok. God makes several more requests of the Israelite people when it comes to their burnt sacrifices, all of which are to be presented to either the priest, sons of Aaron or the Presence of God. And then, “If he offers a lamb, he is to present it before the Lord” (Leviticus 3:7). This is the point in the meal when your customer asks to speak directly with the chef. Not because you haven’t fulfilled their requests, accepted their reasons, and received a generous tip, but because your customer desires direct fellowship with the one who sent him a perfect Lamb. 

Jesus is our perfect Lamb (Ephesians 2:13-18). He was sent to our table, flawless and pure, so that we could have a relationship with the Head Chef. Thank you God for sending all of us Your best Lamb, so that we all have the opportunity to spend eternity in your kitchen.

Finish the work.

Sometimes being obedient is hard. Whether it is your parents, boss or sports coach dishing out the commands, there are times when you would rather do it your way. In my life experience, pretty much every time I disobeyed an authority figure there was a consequence. When I obeyed the person in charge, everything was smooth sailing and occasionally there was a reward. 

In Exodus 39 and 40, the Israelites are still building the fanciest tent in the desert. They have continued to be obedient, when at any moment they could have quit. Some of the specific instructions they were given, would have made me want to throw down my dolphin skin and disobey. But, Moses finished the work. “Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle” (Exodus 40:34).

The majority of the time, obeying God is going to be hard. Completing what He has commanded may seem impossible. But if we take after Moses, have an obedient heart and complete the work, God’s glory will cover it. 

Fill ‘er up!

Have you ever seen something full? A glass of milk. A football stadium. A bowl of cereal. A dirty diaper. A sink of dishes. If you were to put any more milk, people, cereal, poop or dishes in, they would overflow! So we know we can fill something up. It is possible for  things to overflow from fullness. 

In Exodus 36, the Sanctuary is being built. Israelite men and women were asked to bring any supplies they may have to help in this construction. “And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning. So all the skilled craftsmen who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left their work and said to Moses, ‘The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the Lord commanded be done’ (Exodus 36:3b-5). Have you ever seen God’s people fill something up? A homeless shelter with clothes. A soup kitchen with food. A sanctuary with people. Heaven with believers.

If we all just bring everything we have to all places and persons in need, there will be more than enough. We know we can fill something up. It is possible for places to overflow from fullness.   

No privacy, please.

God is omnipresent. His presence is everywhere, at all times. He is with you right now. He was with you when you gossiped about that guy, randomly slept with that girl, disrespected your mother, lied to your spouse and cursed His name. And yes, He sees you poop. Frightening to know that everything you do, say, think and long for is seen and felt by a Mighty God. “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your Presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; If I make my bed in the depths, you are there” (Psalm 139:7-8). God is always there. I’m starting to see His Presence as comforting, instead of frightening.

In Exodus 33, Moses is feeling the pressure of leading a nation of people, alone. He knows God called him to do this, but is extremely overwhelmed by his particular calling. Moses is in a situation where he feels helpless, afraid, overpowered and alone. “God said, ‘My Presence will go with you. I’ll see the journey to the end’ (Exodus 33:14 MSG). God’s Presence is with you, even when you feel completely alone. He will never leave you to handle the difficult journeys by yourself. Yes, that does mean He will witness every poop, but having His Presence is so much better than pooping alone.