This year, I have been working through the Bible reading plan that I found on Jami Nato's blog: The Nato's. While I am not NEARLY on track with the
months, it’s been great for me to actually see my progress and feel like I am making
headway on something I’ve wanted to do for a long time—read the Bible cover to
cover. I’m embarrassed to even admit
that I haven’t!
I’ve been in Leviticus recently and I found myself skimming
over the passages thinking “why does this matter? this doesn’t apply to me, maybe I should just move ahead to another book.” This week, though, was a light bulb, ah-ha, eye-opening
experience moment for me. As I was reading
through Leviticus 14 about Cleansing from Infectious Skin Diseases, I got
it.
This applies DEEPLY to me.
No, I do not need a treatment for a skin
disease or to have the priest sacrifice a sin offering on my behalf. BUT I DO need Jesus’s blood to cover me so I
can be in God’s perfect presence. Lately I’ve really taken that for granted.
I grew up in church. I know the stories; I know Jesus died for my sins but the true
weight of that statement, that action filled with love by both the Father and the Son has not sunk in until far too recently. Without Jesus we would be subject to these
laws—constantly trying to cleanse and purify ourselves in order to have a relationship
with the God that created us. We would
have to watch what we eat, what we wear, how we behave, what comes out of our
mouths, who we surround ourselves with, rely on a priest to help purify us, and
on and on. Jesus died to cover us with
his blood son we can appear perfect in our perfect God's sight and so that there is nothing we can DO to be acceptable or closer to God. We can access Him and talk to Him at any
time. The CREATOR of the WORLD. LOVES US.
Let that sink in. How amazing is that?
In business terms, this is like having direct access to the CEO of your corporation without any fear or anxiety that he is too busy for you, doesn't care about your little problems, doesn't know you from Jane that works across from you. I think about past jobs where I got tongue-tied when someone at a senior level walked by my desk--always wanting to appear busy, valuable, smart, etc. God doesn't ask any of this of us. He wants to know us intimately, to have a deep relationship with us. Sometimes it feels too good to be true.
The gospel has really come alive for me in the last six
months. I have always been a Christian,
have always had a relationship with Christ but have never fully understood
grace or how undeserved grace is. I was
broken this year. Losing a baby at the
end of January rocked my world. It’s
been a healing and surrendering process. Now, I can truly say that I trust God.
I believe He loves me. I believe
He has a perfect plan. I believe Jesus
died so that I can have life, and life to the fullest. The life He has planned for me may not match the
picture in my head.
I can guarantee it
will be better.
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither
angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither
height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will separate us from the
love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8: 38-39
