The message that I want to share regarding the week-end will make more sense I think, if you understand how the Lord has been working on my heart over the last few weeks. My birthday was in May and the following is something that I wrote on the evening of my birthday.
I really felt this week that I needed to re-commit my life to Jesus today, to start my new year with a fresh commitment to Him! I just really wanted to share the verse that the Lord gave me this morning. I don't think it was a coincidence that it was my birthday when He gave this to me.
Exodus 29. The context: God is instructing Moses in the Consecration of the Priests - Aaron and his sons. The verse the Lord gave me is 18:
Then burn the entire ram on the alter. It is a burnt offering to the Lord, a pleasing aroma, an offering made to the Lord by fire.
Now, I know you must be like HUH?? When I shared it with Matt, he was very puzzled!
The first thing that struck me about this verse is that it is an offering made to the Lord by fire. Are the trials of my life like this offering? My life during trials could be an offering made to the Lord by fire. The fire refines us, purifies us. What if I viewed the struggles of my life, or rather, my life DURING trials as an offering to the Lord? My offering to Him is my life in the midst of the fire. This would be a life that is *under fire* so to speak. I think it's safe to say that we've all felt that way before.
Second - a burnt offering is a pleasing aroma to the Lord. What a great thought to know that as I am being refined in the fire, as my impurities are being burned away, that this is a pleasing aroma to God!! Do I resist the fire? Do I try to avoid trials and challenges? If the burning off of my junk is a pleasing aroma to the Lord, then I certainly shouldn't be running from it. I WANT my life to be a pleasing aroma to the Lord!! I want my offering made by fire to please Him!! Therefore, my life pleases Him as I am refined and my junk is stripped away!! Oh, I just love Him so much!!
The last thing that I noted in this verse was that the ENTIRE ram was burned on the alter, NONE of it was held back. The entire ram was dedicated to God! (In the context, 1 bull and 2 rams are sacrificed and this is the ONLY one that is entirely placed on the alter!) So, I wonder, am I holding back from God? Is my ENTIRE life placed on the alter? The fire cannot refine the parts that are not placed on the alter, yet it is the refining that is a pleasing aroma to the Lord! I want to live my life Completely Dedicated to Him, holding nothing back, placing it ALL on the alter!! I believe that this is what He wants, this is what pleases Him. I just love Him so much for the work that He has done in my life over the last few months! All I want to do is Worship Him!!
Thank you all for coming along side me on my journey of faith ♥ May God Bless each of you as you seek to know Him better ♥
The other thing that I did for my birthday was to choose a Theme Song for the year. It's Jeremy Camp's Completely Unrestrained. You can listen to it HERE.
Shannon, your writings are so profound and beautiful. I truly know where you are coming from. This may sound silly but my first experience with a bible was the smell of it as a small child. I desired it but didn't really read it till I was in my 40s. Like you, I love the Lord so much and desire to worship Him and draw closer to Him each day I am on earth. Again, thank you for sharing this part of yourself.
ReplyDeleteI love your children's picture you posted.
God Has Blessed You.
Thank you Grandma. For years I only read the 'happy' parts of my Bible. Anything challenging, confusing or scary just got skipped. And if it accidentally fell open to Revelation -- YIKES!! In March of 2010 I made a commitment to myself and to God that I was going to read it all. I just finished it on April 29th!!
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