Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Daily Bible reading..

My guess is that right about now you are getting bogged down in your commitment to read the Bible through in a year. The newness and excitement of starting a New Year has worn off, and the daily grind has set in. And if you started in Genesis you are into the Levitical law now… not the most exciting reading in the Bible! Don’t let it get you down. Perhaps there is not a direct practical application; that’s ok, maybe there doesn’t have to be. Think about the Israelites, remembering and living by all these specific rules. Many of the laws were symbols of purity and holiness. Some of them ensured the health of the people. The sacrificial system was a picture of the sacrifice of Christ that the people had to look forward to – the Perfect and Final Sacrifice. And remember that in the New Testament, Hebrews I think, we are told that the law came so we would know we are sinners. The law is the proof that we can’t get to God on our own and that we need a Savior.

Don’t beat yourself up if you have fallen behind. Get up and start where you left off with a renewed commitment to read each day. Review your goal; was it realistic? Adjust it if necessary. Give yourself time to catch up. Picture the people of Israel receiving the law; think about the intent of the law; and imagine trying to live up to it without the Holy Spirit. Thank God that our righteousness does not depend upon our living up to the Levitical law! Thank Him that He Himself offered the Perfect Sacrifice for our sins!

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