When God Walks Among Us

As I was reading through the book of Leviticus, it hit me hard how much detail God gave about the great cost of sin and the innumerable sacrifices which had to be offered to symbolize the great cost of redemption. The sacrifices and purification rituals also demonstrated the obedience of God’s people and set them apart as the House of Witness to proclaim the great Gospel message of eternal redemption [what the church is today.] Towards the end of the book, God reiterates His promises of blessings for those who love Him:

You shall not make idols for yourselves; neither a carved image nor a sacred pillar shall you rear up for yourselves; nor shall you set up an engraved stone in your land, to bow down to it; for I am the Lord your God. You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the Lord. 

If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them, then…

I will give you rain in its season, 

the land shall yield its produce, 

and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. 

Your threshing shall last till the time of vintage, 

and the vintage shall last till the time of sowing; 

you shall eat your bread to the full, 

and dwell in your land safely. 

I will give peace in the land, 

and you shall lie down, and none will make you afraid; 

I will rid the land of evil beasts, 

and the sword will not go through your land. 

I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people.

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭26‬:‭1‬-‭6‬, ‭12‬ ‭‬‬

Today God STILL desires to walk among HIS people and bestow the blessings of His presence. But, we have to make a daily HEART-CHOICE. Will we make HIM the greatest love of our life? 

For God to walk among us, He must be on the throne of our heart.

The consequences of having a lesser god reign in our life are—devastating. For clarification, a “god” is anything or anyone we love more than we love God. It is anything that we think about or make more important than God. It can be a job, a relationship, a family member, or even our dedication to a set of rules instead of submitting ourselves to a relationship with God [like the Pharisees of the New Testament.] 

If I find myself unable to sense God walking with me, it is not because He left. It is because I dethroned Him from my heart. If I find myself fearful, depressed, anxious, or controlled by any thought or emotion that is contrary to God’s Spirit, it is because I am not walking close to God. Ah, my friend, there is nothing I need more than I need God and…

We will either walk WITH God or we will walk AGAINST Him. 

If you find yourself unable to sense the presence of God, ask yourself whether HE is the center of EVERY ASPECT of your life—from work to play. The remainder of Leviticus chapter 26 gives us the sobering and frightening consequences of walking in opposition to God: 

“But if you do not obey Me…I will even appoint TERROR over you…I will set my face against you…I will walk contrary to you in FURY!” 

As I read the remaining part of the chapter, it was like reading my own story from the years I lived in rebellion to God. My work seemed meaningless; my enemies seemed to win; my pride broke me and isolated me; I was afraid; I was anxious; I sacrificed my children on the altar of my own pursuits; and my life had little meaning beyond the occasional pleasures I would glean from the temporal things of life. Nothing in this world is ever enough!

Thanks be to God who is merciful beyond measure! His goodness drew me back. God’s presence is my habitation of peace.

Ah, there is no greater blessing of obedience than to experience walking with God!

We would love to hear your thoughts about this devotional. Did God speak to you or challenge your daily walk with him? Or is there a topic that you would like Kimberly to cover or expound on? Please share with us in the comments below.

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