Day 31 – The rules of the Lord are not set to harm us or hold us down, but set out of love to make us Holy like Him.
Today’s Reading: Leviticus 19:1 – 23:44
Leviticus 19:2 “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.”
Moses goes back through the statutes and with much more depth. He first makes the point to all the congregation of the Israelites that the reason He is giving these is because He is Holy and He wants them to be Holy as well. This is definitely a difficult task ahead but one God hopes His people can accomplish. One of the first rules given to them is to Love their neighbor as themselves. God points out the way to love: provide for the poor, don’t neglect your brother, don’t talk about others, don’t commit adultery, don’t take vengeance or bear a grudge against another, and so many more. They were to fear the Lord and keep His statues so the land in which He placed them wouldn’t spit them out.
Yet we have gone so far away from loving our neighbors: we judge, we gossip, we slander one another, we steal, take vengeance when we think we’ve been wronged, we are rude, crude, and out of control, no wonder our communities, our states, our country, and our world is out of whack. We have taken this command and loved ourselves more than others. We need to turn back to Him, think of others first, love as He loves us, and become Holy before the Lord. If we want the world to change, we must start first with ourselves. Look at your social media feed, your texts, the words you say, the notes you write, are you showing love or hate? Love your neighbor as yourself, and watch the world turn to God.
Dear Heavenly Father, Please help me to love others as you love me. Help me not to judge, gossip, or turn away from others. Please Lord, let me be an example, a light, holy, for you. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Running 2 Fly 