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The Holy of Holies
Andrea Lende • May 8, 2020
Numbers 4:18-19
The Holy of Holies
You can also listen to the meditation and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/The-Holy-of-Holies-edoud1
Daily Word:
Numbers 4:18-19
“Since the tribe of the families of the Kohathites [are only Levites and not priests], do not [by exposing them to the sin of touching the most holy things] cut them off from among the Levites.”
“But deal thus with them, that they may live and not die when they approach the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in and appoint them each to his work and to his burden [to be carried on the march].”
As I was reading this chapter in the book of Numbers, these verses stood out to me.
I was reminded about the power of God.
We serve an all-powerful God.
Back in the beginning of time, the holy items in the temple were so powerful that if someone touched something that they were not supposed to touch they would immediately die.
There were specific instructions given to Aaron to keep the people safe.
They had to follow God’s instructions completely.
Sometimes I forget how completely powerful the Lord truly is, and how important it is to follow His directions.
Our God is Creator of all things.
There is nothing he cannot do.
He is able.
He is able to do all that we need of Him.
He is also a loving God.
He loves us more than we can possibly imagine.
He made us.
We are His handiwork.
And He wants us to be His.
His and His alone.
He desires our worship.
He desires relationship with us.
He desires our love.
As the world turns and churns in chaos, the Lord is God of all.
There is nothing that goes without His notice.
His plan is at work.
His perfect plan to bring more people to Him is at work.
I am simply His servant to assist in His plan.
My obedience is required.
So, I listen.
I listen to the Lord’s whispers.
Today I choose to listen and ask God to help me obey each and every whisper, request, and direction that He gives me.
May you find that as you follow God’s guidance that His power is shown greatly in your life.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, how Mighty and Wonderful You Are! You are Great and are to be greatly praised! I praise You, Lord. I praise all that You do and all that You are. You are All-Powerful and, yet, gracious and merciful to me. Thank You, for loving me beyond my ability to fully comprehend. Help me accept Your love, Father, and fully receive all that You give to me. Although I am not worthy of all You give, help me receive all that You have to give. May I rejoice in Your presence, Father. May Your peace be upon me today and every day. May Your favor go before me in all that I do. Help me serve You with all determination and strength, Lord. Ready me for Your service this day. Put joy in my heart so that I am filled with goodness and am able to give without reserve. Make easy the tasks of this day. Help me bless someone today, Father. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM the Great I AM, and I AM with you, My child, giving you all you need to serve Me with joy.
Response: Thank You, Great and Mighty God.
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.