March 6

I can’t move on to today’s reading without commenting on something I just found. In looking for a verse from yesterday’s reading to journal, I found something so foundational, so revelatory, that I have to share it.

Leviticus 25:38 (NIV)
38 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God.

Do you see it? God brought US out of Egypt for 2 things:
1. To give us territory
2. To have relationship with Him

The point of the passage is that HE brought us out, not us but only Him, so obey everything He is tell us. The point you have to slow down to see is awesome! It is the why did He bring us out answer.

Our Egypt is our bondages, our living for ourselves apart from Him. It is the place we came from, the way we used to live and don’t anymore. Egypt is the place of just getting by, surviving and getting all we can for #1 – me. Even our giving was so that we could feel good about ourselves. God has brought us out of that and asked us, no, directed us to live like He tells us to live SO HE CAN GIVE US EVERYTHING HE HAS INTENDED TO GIVE US, including the most important thing, sweet fellowship with Him, our creator who loves us most! He wants us to have His love ruling in our hearts and He wants us to see that we are significant in His plan to take the gospel to the world by giving us territory to rule in. Wow! That is good stuff!

In today’s reading he goes on to list all the awesome things that will happen to us and how He will BE ABLE to bless us if we obey. He gives us the choice and gives us the consequence of those choices, but the choice remains ours. On the other hand, the consequences of our choices remain His. He chooses blessings, (that is why he saved us), but He can’t bless disobedient kids.