THE LEVITE PRIEST

Judges 17-18 has an interesting story about a young Levite priest. Here are some thoughts of mine after reading it and the corresponding footnotes.
1. He wasn't where he was supposed to be.

The Levites had designated areas, and he was out of them. How often have I found myself in trouble while being out of my designated area? Times when I have literally been places I was not supposed to be. I am sure I am not the only one. Spiritually, as well. When I try to take over a role that is not mine. In my marriage. In my church body. In my relationships with others. I have designated boundaries in my life. Boundaries I don't cross because I am a wife. Lines I operate within because I am a mom. Boundaries I respect because I am a Christian. The word boundaries sounds so restricted, but it is really not. Those lines are laid out for not only my good, but for the good of the body of Christ, and as with everything else, laid out to bring glory to God. Within those lines I am free to act, free to live, free to serve and love.

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. (HCSB, Psalm 16:6)

2. He settled for man's security.

He was wandering. He was just looking for anywhere to stay. Anywhere he could feel secure. Can we relate? How often do we just look for that place in which we feel secure? Security is a good thing, and you should feel safe in your life. The problem is when we settle for that security from man and not from God. When we elevate our need for earthly security above God's call on and in our lives. We are not called to wander aimlessly in this life looking for things that make us feel secure. Not relationships, and how many times have we done that, not churches, not jobs. I may love my job, but I cannot put my trust in that above my trust in Christ Jesus. I love my husband and family, but my security cannot be tied up into one man and two little men children. My church or your church may be the best church ever! It can not replace the security I have in Jesus. My security is to be tied up in One...Christ Jesus ... God our Father. Settling for anything else is compromising the very security I am looking for.

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. (NIV, Hebrews 6:19)

3. His let his ego rule him.

They promised him status. How much better to be over many than just one? So the priest's heart was glad...(Jud. 18:20). Listen, I think promotion is a great thing, when it is a God thing. When we do our jobs like we are supposed to, promotion will often follow. He did not get promoted. Keeping in mind he had already taken two huge steps away from God, he simply took the next one. When you and I step away from where we are to be, when we settle for security of man, our flesh gets a whole lot more vocal, and we end up listening. I end up listening. When that happens, my ego starts making decisions and that is never good. Never.

I can't tell you I would not have been tempted to do exactly what he did when they offered him "more". More people. More money. More influence. More status. I know my weaknesses too well.

I know my flesh too well. The good news, I am not my flesh's. It does not own me. It is a dead man walking.

And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Galatians 5:24 (NKJV)

However, I must stay diligent in my walk with Jesus Christ. I have to tune myself to listen for His voice over the loud shouts of my dying flesh. I have to do it from the start.

Deliberate.

In seeing what my true motivations are.

Deliberate.

In making sure I stay as close to Him as I can.

Deliberate.

In laying it all before the Lord.

Deliberate.

In trusting Him above all else.

He will deliver.

YOUR OWN DOT DOT DOT

1 Chronicles 28:9-10 (NKJV)

"As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever. Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong and do it."

"for the Lord has chosen you to ....."

...be in that particular office, even though it is a battle on some days.

...mother those kiddos even when the days are long and the nights are short.

...love that man even when he drives you absolutely insane.

...be single at this time in your life for a greater purpose that, right now, only He can see clearly.

...be the only saved person in your entire family, so that you may extend the love and truth of Christ.

...serve those women in ministry.

...pastor that flock.

...teach that class.

...witness to that friend.

...go through whatever hardship you have now.

...celebrate whatever joy is blessing your socks off today.

...be in this generation, this time, right now, to spread the gospel of Christ to the dying world.

"If you seek Him, He will be found by you..."

...any day.

...any time.

...any where.

"be strong and do it."

FRESH EYES

One of the verses I often quote to myself is Psalm 4:8,
I will both lie me down in peace and sleep; For you alone , O lord, make me dwell in safety.
To lie down in peace. To have my mind shut off and stop with all the what ifs. To have all the anxieties and worries and taunts of the enemy silenced. I have laid in bed and not been at peace. I have laid in bed and had my mind go on and on and on. To have prayed for sleep. Safe sleep. Knowing that I am looked after by the Most High God. He alone is the What, and more importantly the Who, my safety depends on.
Earlier this week I started reading the Proverbs again. One day I asked the Lord to give me fresh eyes to read His word with. New revelation. New hope. I came across Proverbs 3:24,
When you lie down, you will not be afraid; Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.
In all my searching for passages about sleep, I don't remember seeing that one, yet there it is.
And it brought me peace. Sweet sleep gives me fresh eyes. Fresh eyes to see others instead of myself. Fresh eyes to see the goodness of God in my own life when the world wants to dish out a lot of bad. Fresh eyes to see needs I can meet, joys I can celebrate, and burdens I can help carry.

If you have tired eyes, eyes that have their vision blurred by any number of things thrown your way, ask Him for fresh ones. Ask Christ for sweet sleep so that you may wake up in the morning with eyes ready to see the glories of His creation in and around you.
He will deliberately deliver.

NO HEIGHT OR DEPTH (OF EMOTION)

I have been reading about David the past month or so. Reading a lot of Psalms. David felt it all didn't he? Felt it all deeply. He mourned deeply. He praised deeply. When he was angry at people he deeply asked God to wipe them off the planet. Some of the angry prayers I am not sure I could pray for God to do to someone else, but our boy David is right there in the mix. He is so human. So flawed. So much in need of God. So in love with God. Knowing all of that brings me comfort. David is just a reflection of us. He was just as messed up as the rest of us. He acted out of fear at times. He showed great courage and restraint one minute and was a selfish pompous punk the next.

Yet while it brings me comfort to know we are so much alike, what brings me peace and hope is that God stuck it out with him. God never abandoned David, even in David's worst moments. God still loved him. God still shepherded him. God was still the Rock David could cling to, even in the middle of his own personal storm.

God chose to be there.

He deliberately made Himself available for David.

He does the same for you and I.

He chose to send Christ so you and I could be in relationship with them.

He deliberately set out the path Christ would walk which would end in His own personal pain for our salvation.

Nothing separated David from His love.

Nothing separates us....except us.

Turn to Him.

Kneel before Jesus.

Call on His name.

Tell Him everything.

It won't be too much for Him.

He will be more than enough for you.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38-39 (NKJV)

IT'S A NUMBERS GAME

"And the Lord said to Gideon,"The people who are with you are too many for me to give the Midianites in to their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying,'My own hand has saved me.' "

And He dwindles it down from 32,000 to 10,000.

"But the Lord said to Gideon, " The people are still too many;...." "

And He cut it from 10,000 to 300.

Can you imagine? Having an army of 32,000 men cut to 300? I would be a bit nervous myself. Imagine if it were 32,000 dollars cut down to 300?

Or 32,000 followers on twitter suddenly down to 300?

How about 32,000 church members down to 300?

Just put what ever you want in...32,000 _____________ cut down to 300___________.

32,000 of whatever you put your trust in.

Whittled down to 300.

Why?

The Lord will weed out your "security" in numbers, so that you know it was Him.

In this numbers game called life,

His number is One.

He is the One our security is in, not that bank account.

He is the One we should be following, and not following us.

He is the One we go to church to worship, not having them worship us.

He is the One we can trust.

He is the One we seek to please.

He is the One.

He should be my One.

Forgive me Lord when I have put other things in that position.

May I be deliberate in choosing to elevate nothing else above You.

WHINERS...YEP....THAT IS WHAT THEY WERE

and so am I. My bible reading plan has me just finishing up Joshua. I couldn't help but notice a contrast between Joshua and Moses. When Moses was called out back in Exodus 3, he had every excuse possible why he shouldn't and couldn't be the one to deliver the people. Skip on over to Joshua and we see a different leader. Joshua seems to be a man of action. I read no whining by Joshua when he was called to be the leader. The Lord said do it and Joshua went at it. Full force. Right up until chapter 7, when Israel got their tails handed to them. Then we see a different Joshua. A tad bit of a dramatic Joshua. A whining Joshua. And Joshua said, "Alas, Lord God, why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all - to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan!" Joshua 7: 7 (NKJV) He is ripping his clothes, throwing dirt on his head, lying on the ground....whining. Echoing the complaints of the generation before. And the Lord had heard enough. So the Lord said to Joshua: "Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face?" Joshua 7:11 (NKJV) Having kids, I can put my own inflection on those statements. I have said similar words to my own boys. I have been frustrated with them at times with their fits. I have been embarrassed by them. I get how He feels a little bit. These passages reminded me of several things. First, I am not alone in my pity parties. I am not the first to have them and I won't be the last. Second, the Lord gets tired of them. He gets to the point where He has heard enough of my whining and calls me to get up. Thirdly, even though He may be frustrated with me or embarrassed by the fit I throw, just like me with my boys, He always loves. In the very midst of my pity party He loves me. In His correction to get up, He loves me. Deliberately....

WHO NEEDS TO SEE?

"And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and to test you, to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commandments or not."

Deuteronomy 8:2 (NKJV)



Kinda stinks doesn't it. The thought that the Lord our God would deliberately deliver us into a "wilderness" to test our hearts. We have to admit, though, we can understand why. Why He needs to know if we have such a heart. Nevertheless, not exactly warm fuzzies. It should give us hope though. Hope that He is still working on us. Hope that the state of our heart still matters to Him. Hope that He is testing us, to see if we are ready for what's next.

The seeing, however, is actually ours. He already knows. We need to see that He is it. Jesus Christ is to be our overriding focus. We need to see we need Him. We need to see God doesn't leave us. Even in the barren land, when we can't see anything for miles, He still provides. In the thick forest, when we can't see anything 2 feet in front of our face, He is still leading. In either case, all we need to see is Him.

If you are feeling a wilderness season coming on, or perhaps are in the thick of it now, don't get caught up in what you don't see.

Be deliberate in what you do see.

See Jesus.

He sees you.

And every step you need to take.