February 18

Today's Reading

Leviticus. After a brief description of some of the sins requiring an offering, more specifics are given about the use of the offerings among the priests. Yesterday we saw how blood was sprinkled to demonstrate the remission of sins. Today, we see how the priests (the descendants of Aaron) were to treat those offerings when they used them as food. The offerings weren't just left there to rot. They provided meals for the priests who served God and the people.

One thing I found interesting: the priests garments were worn only at the Tabernacle. If any of the sacrificial blood (Lev. 6:27) was dripped on them, they had to be washed. The very blood that represented cleansing from sin actually defiled the holy garment. Hmmmm.

Mark. Jesus called His disciples, then set twelve apart as apostles. They were so busy they couldn't eat. Jesus' family struggled and most didn't believe in Him, the religious leaders argued against Him and the demons ran the other way. What a picture!

My thoughts centered on these verses:
And whenever those possessed by evil spirits caught sight of him, the spirits would throw them to the ground in front of him shrieking, "You are the Son of God!" But Jesus sternly commanded the spirits not to reveal who he was. (Mark 3:11, 12 NLT)
Cathy and I recently re-read Frank Peretti's Darkness books, which tell a story of the spirit world and how they interact with the physical world. I can imagine how demons got riled up at the presence of Jesus.

This passage in Psalms is very precious to me. The name of my other blog, "Dwell & Cultivate," is taken from a different translation of verse 3. Sometimes it takes many years to turn hard ground to a fertile field. What a privilege, though, to watch God bring life from once futile soil. My life verses are from this passage:
Trust in the LORD and do good;
Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light
And your judgment as the noonday. (Psalm 37:3, 6 NASB)

Proverbs. One verse brings comfort and the other one a challenge in today's tough economic times.

What do YOU think today?