Tag Archives: daily walk

March 6; It Might Be Contagious

Numbers 19-21

Jacob’s descendants, the Israelites, went to Esau’s descendants, the Edomites, to ask permission to cut through their property on their way to the Promised Land. When last we saw the brothers they were reunited, their past differences seemingly forgiven. But here we are hundreds of years later, and the bad feelings seem to have resurfaced. The king of Edom threatened to go to war with his cousins if they stepped foot on his land.

I don’t know why the Edomites reacted so strongly against Israel, why they didn’t trust them to walk through the land and keep their word not to disturb anything. Was it because Esau didn’t trust Jacob so many years ago? Was that something the Edomites grew up believing? “Never trust a son of Jacob.”

Was it because of jealousy? “Why are Jacob’s descendants so blessed by God? We’re Abraham’s sons, too.” Was their refusal to allow the Israelites to cut through their land just meanness toward people they envied?

It has me thinking about the things we say, the attitudes we display, the prejudices and opinions we express in our homes and in front of our children. Many people are able to break away from toxic parenting, and allow God to shape their attitudes instead of simply adopting their parents’ attitudes. Many are not able to do that, and live their lives with the same destructive thoughts and actions as their parents and, often, their grandparents.

But there is a flip side. If peace, and love, and holiness, patience, kindness, and joy are lived in your home, just maybe your children will follow your lead when they are old enough to choose their own attitudes. Just maybe they will learn from you to base their view of the world on God’s Word instead of the nightly news, to love instead of hate, to be holy instead of blending in with the world.

Which gets me thinking about something else. What kind of attitudes and opinions are rubbing off me and onto the people with whom I have contact? I represent God, or religion, or the Church, or Christianity when I wear Christ’s name, when I profess to be a Christian. Do I want people to adopt my opinion of God, my view of the world, my attitude toward sin and forgiveness?

I believe our attitudes and our beliefs are contagious. What are others catching from us?

March 5; God Gives

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Numbers 16-18

All the Levites had jobs to do in caring for the Tabernacle. But only Aaron and sons were priests. Yes, priests were the most visible, their duties often performed before thousands, while the Levites got stuck packing up the spoons. And, as often happens, jealousy broke out like a plague.

As I read this portion of Scripture, I’m reminded God has jobs for all of us to do in caring for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Some are preachers and song leaders who fulfill their responsibilities before thousands, and some change diapers in the nursery, pull weeds on the church property, and wash spoons after the church’s covered dish dinner.

As children of God, He gives us all tasks He wants us to do. Can we do it without jealousy? Read these chapters in Numbers about what happened to the Levites who complained.

I’m also reminded that when God gives us a job to do, He also gives us what we need to get it done. I love how God provided for the day-to-day needs of the priests, as recorded in chapter 18.

I also love how Scripture tells us how God gives gifts to His children to be used for His work. I Corinthians 12 tells us the using of our God-given gifts is like a healthy body with fingers AND toes, ears AND eyes. When God gives us a job to do, He gives us exactly what we need to do it.

But the thing I love most as described here in Numbers is this: God gives us HIMSELF! The priests and Levites were not to receive any real estate in the Promised Land. Why?

I am your share and your inheritance among the Israelites. (18:20b)

Let that sink in. God is our inheritance. The Creator. The Sustainer of life. The Savior of mankind. God is all mine! (and yours if you know Him).

And God is all I need to do what He asks me to do, to be the woman He intends for me to be. God gives.

And gives.

March 3; Let’s Do This

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Numbers 11-13

Back in June of 2015 I wrote about a former student of mine who lives his faith in God out loud. (They Hated Me Without A Cause). This young man is not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. I thought about him today as I read these chapters in Numbers, because my friend is facing giants today.

Thirty years ago he was born three months premature, weighing in at a whopping 1lb 12oz. The doctor told his parents he hoped they’d have better luck next time. But this tiny baby spent 120 days in the NICU, then went home with his parents and has lived a perfectly normal life. I knew him as a middle schooler and trust me, he was a normal middle schooler! 🙂

He is a military veteran, married, and a hard worker. He has the most positive outlook on life of anyone you’ll ever meet. You never feel worse after spending time with this young man.

And he has cancer. Last week he was hit with the news that he will be fighting Stage 2 bladder cancer.

Moses sent out twelve men to spy out the land God had Promised to give them. Let’s not forget that fact. God had PROMISED to GIVE them the land.

You know the story: the twelve searched the land for forty days, came back with amazing fruit and a glowing report as to what that land offered. But instead of celebrating the good things God was giving them, all those men could focus on were the giants living there.

“It’s too much!” they complained. “We’ll never be able to defeat them.”

All the spies seemed to agree with this sorry assessment – except Caleb who exclaimed, “Let’s do this!”

I’ve never been diagnosed with cancer, so I’m not going to pretend I know what my young friend is feeling. He says he’s worried, and scared. He has questions. Who wouldn’t? He admits he knows he’s in for the fight of his life. But he, like the Caleb we read about here in the book of Numbers, says, “Let’s do this!”

He is not cowering in fear in the face of this giant. If you would visit his FaceBook page you would see post after post of Bible verses declaring God’s power, God’s goodness, God’s love. He continues to be a voice of one who has put his trust in the Lord Jesus, and whose faith is stronger than his fear. He knows God has promised him that He has a plan for him, plans to give him hope and a future. (from Jeremiah 29:11)

With his permission, I’d like to share this young man’s name, because his parents gave him a name meant to fight giants. His name is Caleb Jacob. Caleb, one of the two spies who saw God in the land of the giants.

I know many of you are facing giants of your own. They come in all shapes and sizes. But they are intended by the enemy to get our eyes off the Lord, to replace our confidence with doubt, to question God’s love or maybe even existence. I would challenge you to search the Scripture for God’s promises to you. Just like he PROMISED to GIVE the land to the Jews, He’s PROMISED His presence, His strength, His power, and eternity with Him to those who know Him.

Are you facing a giant? Be the one to take God’s hand and say, “Let’s do this.” Would you pray with me for Caleb and his wife Kassi as they begin their own battle with cancer? I pray God will be glorified as they face this giant, and may He be glorified as you face your own.

March 2; Come With Me

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Numbers 8-10

Moses asked his brother-in-law to stay and help him maneuver the Jews through the wilderness. “You know where we should camp. You can be our eyes.” (10:31) This exchange between the two men has me thinking about a couple of things today.

First, I’m asking myself if Moses forgot there was a pillar of cloud and fire – God Himself – leading the people; moving when God wanted them to move, stopping when God wanted them to stop? Why would Moses think Hobab could do a better job? Or did he?

I think Moses might have recognized that God gifts His people with various abilities. Maybe he saw in Hobab an experienced camper and explorer, and someone who could use his experience to help Moses in those areas.

I see a leader who trusted God first and foremost, and then gave opportunity for people to use their God-given abilities to accomplish God’s plan. Warren Wiersbe reminds us,”Hobab’s wisdom did not take the place of God’s leading.” (With The Word, Oliver-Nelson Publishing,; 1991; page 91) It merely gave Hobab the chance to be involved in what God was doing there in the wilderness.

The other thing I see, and that which convicts me this morning, is Moses’ invitation itself. He and the tribes of Israel were heading for the Promised Land. “Come with us,” he said to Hobab.

That reminds me that I need to always have that same invitation ready to share, too. I am going to heaven!

Come with me.

February 26; Encamped Around

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Numbers 1-2

There are many verses in the Bible that refer to believers as a kingdom of priests. Exodus 19:6; I Peter 2:5&9; Revelation 1:6, 5:10 are only a few that liken our privileges and responsibilities as God’s children to that of a priesthood.

So I think it’s important for us to pay attention to what Scripture has to say about Old Testament priests. God uses them to draw us a picture as an example of what we are to look like this side of the cross.

Like here in Numbers 1:47-53. It’s a short paragraph, but it says so much. What it describes is the Levites’ responsibilty to protect and care for the Tabernacle of the Testimony. Not just the structure, but every utensil, every bowl, every thing concerning the sanctuary.

And (I love this picture) they were to pitch their own tents around the tabernacle. They became a human shield, not only to protect the holy structure, but to protect the people from encroaching on holy ground.

Anyone else who goes near it (the tabernacle) shall be put to death.

We know that the Tabernacle was the place where God lived on Earth until the Temple was built, and until Jesus’ death on the cross ripped the veil in two so that we have access to God. It was the job of the priests to protect the Presence, to care for that which represented the Truth.

Today, that responsibility falls on our shoulders. How do you think we are doing as a kingdom of priests, God’s Church in 2019? Are we protecting the Truth of who God is? Have we become a human shield that keeps Satan’s lies out of our midst? Do we even care if God is being misrepresented, maligned, and ignored in our world?

If we allow the world, non-priests (which are non-believers) to infiltrate our churches with their watered down versions of Scripture, or their lies, we are opening them up to be put to death. A serious, devastating eternal death. And we will not have done our job.

May we become that human shield, encamped around the Truth, defending it with fierce determination. God has not changed since He visited Earth in that Tabernacle of the Testimony. He is still Holy. He is still True. His ways are still the only way. May we be faithful to protect it with our eternal souls.

February 22; Sacrificing Children

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Leviticus 19-21

As I read this today I got to thinking about moms and dads sacrificing their babies to a pretend god called Molech. The pagan people in the neighborhood practiced this cruel ritual. But here in Leviticus God is telling His own people not to do it, and what the rest of the Jews should do to the one who throws their child into the fire. It makes me so sad.

When I read what Scripture has to say about idolatry I admit I tend to think of weird looking carvings sitting on someone’s bedside table, or a huge likeness of a demon with fire coming out of its mouth perched on the side of a mountain. But today God seems to be asking me to consider another, more subtle form of idolatry.

Can a job become an idol? Can a relationship? Is there such a thing as a popularity, or a success idol? Can an idol look like my “self?” We in a civilized society don’t throw our children into a fire to appease an idol. But I wonder if we don’t sacrifice our children in other ways.

I wonder how many children are sacrificed for the job idol, or the self idol. I wonder how many little ball players keep glancing toward the stands to find the face of a parent who sacrificed that little one to appease a boss, or a pilates class. I wonder how many children have been sacrificed to the god of alcohol and drugs.

Homes and families have imploded because of the idol of self, or success. And the children are the first casualties. We may shake our head and say confidently that we would never allow our child to be thrown into the fire as a sacrifice to an idol.

But I wonder if that is true.

God declares repeatedly that, “I am the Lord your God.” I pray that He is your God, and that your children are blessed because He is.

February 19; It’s Not Just About Food

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Leviticus 11-13

In these chapters we read the instructions God gave the Jews for following the Law. Much of it has to do with keeping God’s chosen people healthy. It’s not just an exhaustive list of rules. Following the rules resulted in a robust, long-lifed, group of people who were more robust and lived longer than their neighbors. Following the rules made God’s people stand apart from the crowd.

Let’s see what these chapters have to do with our walk with God in 2019.

Chapter 11 teaches that the disease of sin can be ingested if we aren’t careful. Just like the Jews were told to avoid certain disease-carrying animals, we are told to flee sin, guard our hearts and minds, think pure thoughts, come out from among them and be separate. The Jews were instructed to not even touch an unclean animal, much less eat it.

Some of us don’t necessarily participate in blatant acts of sin. But I wonder if we’re not guilty of getting close enough to bump into it, or have it rub off on us. Do we understand if sin touches us, it makes us unclean? I believe God would have us consider what it is we are taking in, in the music we listen to, to the books we read and shows we watch, to the places we go and the people we hang with. How close can we get to sin without it effecting us? I think God is telling us to be aware that sin is a fatal disease we can catch if we eat the whole hog, or if we just touch it to see how it feels. The solution? Don’t go there.

Chapter 12 tells us we are born unclean. The Bible makes it clear we are all born with a sin nature, a will to sin. But we also see time and again that God forgives sin. The women here in Leviticus were instructed to make atonement for their uncleanness in a very public way. I think one reason God instituted the baptism ceremony is because of that same idea – a public declaration that “I am clean by the work of Jesus on the cross.” Buried in sin. Alive in Christ. And we want the world to know.

And chapter 13 instructs us to examine ourselves, not to allow a “tiny sin” to exist in our lives, because “tiny sins” grow into infectious diseases resulting in separation from God in this life and eternity. It tells us that sin isn’t simply skin deep, not a zit that will go away on its own.

God is telling us sin is a cancer that destroys us from the inside. It’s leprous, ugly, and like leprosy caused finger and toes to fall of, rendering the diseased person crippled, sin causes us to lose our witness, rendering us crippled in our usefulness to God. I believe God is instructing us to take an inventory every day of our lives, search our hearts on a regular basis, identify the plank in our eye and remove it. If we don’t, we’ve got to know that it won’t get better on its own.

I hope you’ll read these chapters today. When God is talking about things to avoid, a disease, or an uncleanness, consider the sin that would entangle you today. Hear God’s solution to your sin problem. Don’t just look at this as a list of do’s and don’t’s for a people long gone. Let God speak to your heart about your walk with Him today.

It’s not just about food, or child-bearing, or leprosy. God wrote this for you.

February 14; Counting Nails

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Exodus 36:8-38:31

Our church is in the middle of a building project, and right now we are in the process of getting down to the nuts and bolts. Seriously.

The architect, builder, and our building committee are deciding how many nails, screws, washers, etc. we will need to put up the structure. What color and kind of paint, flooring, trim, windows, doors, etc., etc., etc. There isn’t an inch of the projected building that hasn’t been discussed. I’m not on that committee, thankfully. It sounds tedious.

Like reading these chapters in Exodus. Why do I care how many hooks held up the curtains of the tabernacle?

Because God does.

I am reminded that as God and I continue to build this life, this tabernacle called Connie, He is interested in every detail. It’s all important to Him, from my thoughts to my actions, from the way I interact with people to the way I speak to Him, from temptations I face to my will to win over them.

Just like with Moses, God has given me the blueprint. He’s gone over the plans. He’s gotten down to the nuts and bolts required to build a beautiful life He can live in on this earth.

He’s told me things like “put on the whole armor of God,” “resist the devil,” “flee youthful lusts,” “think on things that are pure, holy… praiseworthy,” don’t forsake the regular meeting with fellow believers,” “love your neighbor,” “do good to those who mistreat me,” “trust Him,” “love Him,” “obey Him.”

If God was that interested in the minute details of the tabernacle in the desert, a structure that would decay and disappear, how much more is He interested in me?

And shouldn’t I be as intentional about following His plan as the Israelites were?

So if God wants to get down to the nuts and bolts of my life, if He wants to reveal a sin or point me in a new direction, I’m in. Count those nails, Lord. And if I come up short, help me to do and be what I need, to be able to present you with a tabernacle of Your design, a life you deserve.

February 4; A Pretty Good Imitation

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Exodus 7:14-9:35

I find it interesting that Pharaoh’s magicians could perform some of the same miracles Moses and Aaron performed. They turned a staff into a snake, water into blood, and made frogs come up on land. I’m not so interested in figuring out HOW they did, just the fact that they did.

Here’s the thing: Satan has been imitating God since the beginning. And he’s pretty good at it. He’s even wormed his way into some of our pulpits, and can quote Scripture with the best of them.

It would be easy to spot the difference between Jesus followers and Satan followers if all non-believers wore black hats and scowled all the time, and all believers wore the white hats and were happy, peaceful, lovely people. It would be easy to tell truth from lies if every time a lie was told, the liar’s nose would grow.

But Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. His lies sound plausible, his twisting of Scripture sounds God-like. And if we aren’t careful, we can easily fall into his trap. After all, it sounds Christian to believe God is love, love, love, that God creates some people to be homosexual, that God rewards good people, or that god can be anything you want him or her to be, just so you are happy. It seems god-like to believe everybody goes to a better place when they die, or that there is only peace and nothingness after death.

You get the picture. I could go on. Do you recognize Satan’s lies when you hear them? Satan does a pretty good imitation of God. But he never has been, and never will be God. Let’s determine to recognize the difference. Let’s be in God’s Word so we know the Truth when we hear it, and can recognize the frogs that come from God and those that come from Satan. The difference is eternally important.

alighttomyway

LOVING God's Word, LISTENING to God's voice, LEADING others to God's Son, Jesus Christ

Tag Archives: daily walk

March 6; It Might Be Contagious

March 5; God Gives

March 3; Let’s Do This

March 2; Come With Me

February 26; Encamped Around

February 22; Sacrificing Children

February 19; It’s Not Just About Food

February 14; Counting Nails

February 4; A Pretty Good Imitation