On my journey, I’ve found a love for God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit that I never knew could exist. I remember sitting in church a few months after actually diving into the Word and writing this blog and while reading the Bible I just blurted out, “I love Jesus!” It was the first time I realized that I was in love with Him.
There’s a difference, you see, in loving Him and being in love with Him. Loving Him comes from knowing He’s your Savior and being fully committed to Him. Being in love with Him means you’ve entered into communion with Him in your spirit. The connection has been made and you are in a relationship with Him.
This is what He has always wanted from us, since He created us. Remember, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
John 1:1-5
Then sin entered our hearts and separated us from Him. Our communion was broken. God cannot inhabit the same space as sin. So, if sin is in our hearts, God cannot dwell there.
Did God just stop? Stop trying to dwell with us? Stop seeking relationship with us?
If you haven’t fallen in love with Him yet, let me show you something that might get you closer to it.
God chose a special people to make a covenant with and set in motion the plan to bring us back to communion with Him. But, the plan didn’t just include Jesus. It began when He gave the Israelites the Law.
I’m getting goosebumps just writing this, please keep reading…
The book of Leviticus, or the Law, might be perceived as one of the most boring books in the Bible. It’s full of detail after detail of what the Israelites had to do to follow God’s Law. And, if you’re like me, law does NOT interest me. If you tell me what to do, I’m likely to question every angle of it to make sure I agree with it before actually agreeing to comply (or disagreeing, depending on whats being asked of me). Ask my parents, husband, or employers and you’ll see that they all know this about me. And probably shake their heads and roll their eyes about it.
So, when it came time in my order of Bible study to dive deep into Leviticus I was not excited. I actually scoffed at it and came close to skipping over it. But I felt God tugging at me to get into it. If God asks, I do it, no questions asked, well, not as many questions asked.
I’ve been AMAZED at the treasure that lies in Leviticus. It points right to the cross. It’s unbelievable!
One of the most exciting aspects of the law is the rituals of sacrifice. Gross, right?! But not the killing part, it’s the ritual that goes with them. In each type of sacrifice God demands from His people, He adds a ritual meal to go along with it.
Big deal, huh? They get to eat. I mean, to me that’s pretty awesome. But that’s not the truly amazing part. For each sacrificial meal, a part is set aside for the person offering the sacrifice, a part is set aside for the priest, and a part is set aside for God.
Please pause, breathe, and ponder that for a moment…
“The ultimate goal for the forgiveness of sins is to restore communion with God. … The goal of atonement is fellowship between God (the host), the priest (who accomplishes our atonement), and the people (whose sins are purged by the atonement).” Knowing the Bible: Leviticus
The MEAL at the sacrifice is where communion happens. Do you see this pointing to Jesus?!
Jesus fulfills EVERY aspect of the sacrificial rituals. He IS the sacrifice. He IS God, the host. He IS the great High Priest, accomplishing our atonement. He IS the forgiveness of our sins. He IS the meal we take in the new covenant.
I’m so in love with Him. He is my everything.
Thank You, God, for wanting me. For coming for me. For fighting for me. For putting plans in motion to bring me back into communion with You. I am Yours and You are mine.
Fighting Fire with Light 