February 28

Today's Reading

Leviticus. God designated times for celebration and times for solemnly seeking Him. The celebrations gave them time to reflect on God's goodness and to look forward with faith. They also reminded them of how God was powerful to deliver their people in times past. They were scheduled around the farming industry because this was an agrarian society. What does it say to you and me who, because of labor-saving devices, have come to believe we must squeeze every drop of activity out of every day?Recent conversations on several levels have convinced me that our rapid pace of life is one of the biggest thieves robbing spiritual maturity from us. It is time for us to put an end to mindlessly filling our lives with activity.


Mark. Today's passages offer Jesus' teachings on a variety of subjects. Which one speaks the most to you? I have often been challenged by Jesus' response when the disciples reported that someone outside their group was seeing miracles in Jesus' name. I grew up in a tradition that seriously doubted whether God ever does anything outside our particular denomination. God, forgive us!

Do you think today's Psalm applies to us and our nation today? I do! We have been pummeled for so long with the message of multiculturalism that we have forgotten the things that made us great. It was never the strength of our arms that protected us. It was that so many in this land called upon the Lord and lived His ways.

At the same time, I have repented of a sinful error I have seen in me and in our church. We dreamed big dreams, then cut them down to the size of our own resources. Instead of praying through and waiting for God to provide from His resources, we worked our plans with a prayer for God to bless them. We called the end result "God's work", but they were really our own work because we refused to trust and wait upon God. I never want to live that way again!

Proverbs. This is one that often catches me. I'm a talker. I have received a warning. I read this sitting on a plane one day. I was headed into a meeting in which I would be tempted to talk a lot. God helped me zip my lip!

What are your thoughts for today?