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A Message for the Pastors of the People
Andrea Lende • July 3, 2021
Deuteronomy 18:1-2
A Message for the Pastors of the People
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/A-Message-for-the-Pastors-of-the-People-e13s8c9
Deuteronomy 18:1-2
“The Levitical priests and all the tribe of Levi shall have no part or inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the offerings made by fire to the Lord, and His rightful dues.”
“They shall have no inheritance among their brethren; the Lord is their inheritance, as He promised them.”
The Levites were set apart for God’s use.
They were to minister to God’s people.
So, they were not allowed to inherit any part of the promised land.
At first glance, this seems restrictive.
After all, it took years of travel and a complete generation of people to finally arrive at the promised land.
The land flowing with milk and honey.
And now there was a whole tribe who could not participate.
Again, seems unfair at first glance.
But as God perfectly designs my reading in His Word, I also read a passage this morning which I think clarifies the reason why.
Revelation 9:20 says, “And the rest of humanity who were not killed by these plagues even then did not repent of [the worship of] the works of their [ own] hands, so as to cease paying homage to the demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor move.”
The reason the Levites were unable to own anything in the promised land is embedded in this verse.
When I initially read this passage, I was convicted.
I thought, am I working so diligently at trying to secure a living that I am paying homage to the fruit of the works of what I do more than being of service to the Lord?
When we are consumed with making a living or making more money to have more things, it can become a snare to serving God as a pastor to the people.
It doesn’t to everyone, but it can for some.
For some, the desire for more worldly things can take us away from the most important thing.
Worshiping God, serving God, serving the people, pastoring the people, and caring for God’s people.
If the Levites had to find a way to make a living, their minds would have been distracted from God’s service.
The Lord provided for their care.
He made provision for their food and residence.
He also provided for their inheritance.
He said that He, Himself would be their inheritance.
And I can think of no better inheritance.
Today I choose God over everything and pray He leads me to Himself as He provides for my needs.
May you find the Lord has your needs well provided for today and every day.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for showing me more of Your ways. Thank You for showing me You are providing for me and taking care of all my needs. Thank You for showing me I need more of You and less of this world. Thank You for showing me You are my inheritance. You are all I need. Help me serve You, and You, only. Help me seek You and not the things of this world. Fill my spirit with Yours, so I am fully led by You. Help me do all You have planned for me to do, Lord. May I serve with joy! May I serve with love. Strengthen me in all ways, Father. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM your portion and inheritance, My child. You will do well to follow Me.
Response: Help me see and follow only You, Lord.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.