But seriously, I'm grateful today for the perspective of 66 Love Letters because it keeps me tuned into what God's saying through these difficult chapters:
"You don't yet realize that distance from Me is the most lethal problem you have.
You assume we're doing just fine together while you run off trying to make life work for you. And you expect Me to cooperate. When you read Leviticus, notice that I never solve anyone's secondary problem. In all those verses about skin infection, for example, I never prescribed ointment or simply cured the disease, which I easily could have done. I simply told people they couldn't enter My Presence with an oozing sore. The issue was worship and intimacy with Me, not health, wealth, or personal comfort."This makes me think about all of the years as a believer that I told God my plan and asked Him to bless it. I was trying to make my life work - in relationships, in my career, in ministry work, in everything really. "Here's my dream, God. I really want it. Please make it happen." Oh, I was more subtle about it than that but just as demanding. I didn't realize that's what I was doing, but in hindsight it's pretty obvious.
It's also obvious that I was totally self-centered, asking God to solve secondary problems, things like giving me favor with people, awarding me the promotion I wanted, providing me with financial security, arranging for me to meet the right man, and even blessing me with a successful and growing ministry. It was all me, me, me. I wasn't as focused on an intimate relationship with God; I was busy doing stuff.
But here it says the primary issue is worship and intimacy with God, not my personal concerns. He decides how I enter His Presence, not me. And Jesus reminds me in Matthew 6:31-33 to seek first His Kingdom:
What I'm trying to do here is get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.My personal concerns look a lot different these days, but I still slip into demanding that He cooperate with my plan. It's a very real temptation for me. I want what I want when I want it, you know?
But as I'm seeing for myself in Leviticus, my "relationship with God is always the issue that trumps every other concern." 66 LL
Thank You, Lord, for that perspective in the midst of these challenging chapters. Show me where I'm still trying to make life work and asking You to bless my plan. Give me an increasing desire to worship You and for intimate fellowship with You. Show me how to respond to Your giving. May I truly steep my life in God-reality, God-initiative, and God-provisions.
4 comments:
I just finished Crabb's book, "Shattered Dreams" and the timing has been so interesting with reading about all the uncleanness in Leviticus. Here's a selection that I'm chewing over:
"When He planned the New Covenant, God's intention was to recover His reputation that His Old Covenant followers had pretty well ruined. God's priority then, now, and always is His glory. New Covenant resources are provided so we can live lives that are all about God and not all about us." (Speaks right to what you posted today, Cici, and the self-absorption in my heart as well.)
"The new life has four basic elements: First, a new purity. We're now clean even when we roll in mud. The dirt is on us; the purity of God's life is in us... Second, a new identity. We're no longer defined by our problems (infections?) or sins or education or talents... Third a new appetite. Our deepest and potentially strongest desire is for God... Fourth, a new power. The Holy Spirit has moved in...The power is within us to live out the new life of purity, identity, and appetite that has already been gifted to us and implanted in our souls."
It's snowing again in Tulsa town .... all morning. I heard Austin actually had a "dusting" and cancelled classes - WOW!
The white blanket over our yard and streets and everwhere actually... causes me to thinkg of the covering - our sins were like scarlet and now are white as snow (Isaiah 1:18) Thankful that Christ's covering is so perfect and holy.
In the middle of today's reading of the clean and unclean, CH 11 vs 44-45 Make yourself holy for I am holy.... Be holy because I am holy.
What an impossibility... I fall so short! Yet...there it is, God is Holy, God's atonement / His Sacrificial blood, COVERS me and God can see my sin wrecked life as White as Snow... HOLY. Praise the Lord! Now if only, I would live a more holy life that is visible so others may see God's holiness and worship Him!
Enjoy your snow Texans :)
Is there a way to post a picture to our comments?
Cici and Staci, I just wanted to take a second to thank you both. Even though I don't post often (mostly because it's hard to type much from my phone), I am reading daily, and your posts, along with everyone's comments, are helping me get more out of these first few chapters than I ever have before...by far! I can only imagine the amount of time it takes y'all to keep up with all of the writings, but I just wanted to thank you and encourage you by letting you know that it is truly making a difference in me. This is quite a commitment from y'all for a full year, but I thank you and love you both so much!!
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