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Day 8 - Leviticus 1-14:1-32

Day 8 is here! We're reading through the Bible during our 90 day challenge. Today was Leviticus 1-14:1-32.

Ok, honestly…Leviticus is one of the hardest books in the Bible for me to read. It is so full of laws, rules, regulations and can't do's. I find it hard to relate to anything written and then don't want to continue reading. I will say that I am even more thankful for the sacrifice of Jesus so that I'm not forced to follow such strict laws involving everything from the foods I eat to what I can and cannot do following childbirth.

When Jesus died on the cross he removed all the rules and now we have the opportunity to build a relationship with Him! Our faith is now built on a relationship with our Heavenly Father vs obeying all the rules and laws. We still need to obey His commands but it's so much more about the relationship aspect now! I love that!

Day 7: Exodus 29-40

Day 7 of the 90 reading through the Bible challenge!

Can you imagine having to sacrifice three animals and go through the detailed process of cleaning them and collecting their blood? Can you imagine covering yourself with the blood from those animals? It's amazing how detailed God is in what He asks them to do in order to consecrate Aaron and his brothers. He even tells them to put blood on their Right ear lobe? So detail oriented is our God! They also had to pay God a ransom for their lives. Thank you Jesus for paying, in full, the ransom for us.

I'm slightly jealous of Moses who was allowed to see God and spend time with Him face-to-face for 80 days!!! He was given the 10 commandments during his first 40 day trip up the mountain to spend time with God. When he returned down to the people and saw how they had built up idols he was so angry that he threw the commandments down and they shattered. God ended up having to remake them and thus Moses got to spend another 40 days with God in face-to-face communion! I long for a relationship with the Lord like Moses had!

Then we read in Exodus 34:14 that God is a jealous God. We're told not to worship idols. He's talking about physical statues but other things in our lives can also become idols if we put them above the Lord - time, money, people, etc.

Exodus 34:6 And He passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

Day 6: Exodus 15:19:27-28

Today marks day 6 out of 90 in our Bible reading challenge! The chapters we read today seem to be mainly laws and rules. They started out telling about the people's praising God for rescuing them from Pharaoh. It goes on to describe their grumbling about no food or water and how God blesses them with clean drinking water and mana from Heaven. How awesome that they had exactly as much food as they needed, no more - no less!
The majority of Day 6 was a bit of a tough read for me.

It was mainly rules/laws and describing how to build the Tabernacle. I must say that it sounds absolutely gorgeous. I am so thankful that Jesus' death means we no longer have to follow these rules in order to pray to or Worship God! Because of Jesus' sacrifice we can come boldly into the Throne room and present our requests to God without the protocol the Israelites had to follow!

I have often wondered why churches are so set on having gorgeous buildings and ornate statues or designs. Then I read these chapters and see that it actually pleases God to see these beautiful things! I still think all things in moderation but I see where the desire to have beauty in our churches comes from…God Himself!

Thank you Lord!!!

Day 5: Exodus 1-15:1-18

Today marks day 5 in reading through the Bible in 90 days! We read from Exodus 1-15 and saw God move in MIGHTY ways! This is a great book to read with children to show them of the awesome power of the God we serve!

I love that the people Pharaoh is trying to kill are the same people that gave birth to the man who ultimately takes him down. Moses is such an inspiration in his obedience to God! He was not good at public speaking, how many of us are, yet he obeyed and worked with his brother to bring God's message to Pharaoh and the people.

How lucky was Moses to see God through the burning bush?!? How awesome for God to display Himself through a burning bush?!? Wouldn't you love to have seen that for yourself?!?

I find it crazy that God would purposely harden Pharaoh's heart against Himself in order to show the people of Egypt that he is all powerful. The signs he preformed through Moses are mind boggling and the fact that Pharaoh refused to put an end to the suffering is amazing.

Who among the gods is like you, Lord? Who is like you - majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? Exodus 15:11

Day 4: Genesis 40:12-50

Today is Day 4! Todays readings were focused on Joseph and his life and service dedicated to the Lord. It was an "easy read" for me because I love this story and how it can be applied to our lives today!

Really, this who reading just revealed God's blessings on Jacob and the character of Jacob as a man. Jacob was a man of honesty, integrity and extremely wise. He trusted and obeyed God and was blessed because of it. He forgave his Brothers for something so awful and God restored their family.

Day 3: Genesis 28:20-40:1-11

Today is Day 3 of the 90 Bible challenge! I'm still enjoying this time in the Word! I'm thankful I've taken on this challenge!

Ok, so todays reading was…interesting. First of all, the fact that Laban, Father of Leah and Rachel, basically tricked Jacob into marrying Leah seems terrible. I understand that it was custom to marry off the oldest daughter first but couldn't he have told Jacob that instead of letting him believe he would be marrying the love of his life after working seven years to earn her? Secondly, the fact that God allowed Leah to have a child because Jacob didn't love her as much as Rachel. Why did He allow men to marry more than one woman? Women today would be told they're crazy for having a Baby to "keep a man". Third, and this is sad to admit, I never fully understood where the Tribes of Israel came from UNTIL I read these chapters. These children came from Leah and her servant and Rachel and her servant. How awesome it is to finally understand such a large portion of the Bible's history! And again God is enabling women who were once unable to conceive to now have babies! The same God that blessed them with children can bless women today who cannot have children!

Another fascinating read was about Jacob wresting with God. He actually saw God face to face and lived to tell about it! This is the point that God changed his name from Jacob to Israel, because he wrestled with God and overcame! What a testimony for Jacob to have!

Yet again we see more genealogy. Whenever I saw genealogy in the Bible before I would always skim over it. I never paid much attention to it thinking it was just a pointless addition. Until the Lord showed me that He's that much into the details of our lives. He knows all and cares for us so intimately! God is into the details of our lives!

And we began reading about Joseph and his journey from beloved Son of Jacob to slave to second in command of all of Egypt! We see his character revealed multiple times. He refuses to feel bad for himself, instead seeing God's will for his life. He doesn't sleep with Potiphar's wife when she seduces him. He's still a man of honor, even in prison. He still follows the Lord and even interprets dreams while locked up for something he didn't even do!

I hope to be more like Joseph!

Day 2: Genesis 17-28:1-9

Today is day 2 of our 90 days "Reading through the Bible" challenge! I am loving this time I've spent in the Word! What a blessing it is to have a written account for what God has done! I hope you'll join me in reading about our awesome Creator!

I love that we get to read about Sarai being unable to conceive children and then seeing God preform a miracle and open her womb when she is far beyond her childbearing years. I also am thankful that we get to see that both Abraham and Sara were shocked and in disbelief about God's promise of a Son! It seems like we never want to admit that our faith isn't always strong so it's good to read that those who walked so closely with God also had times of wavering faith!

If you're a parent I'm sure you found Genesis 22 to be a very difficult chapter to read. When I hear of the sacrifice God asked Abraham to make, of killing his only Son with Sara, my heart sinks. Abraham had such faith in the Lord that he was willing to kill the one thing he had longed for and waited so long to receive. I often wonder what I would do or say if God asked the same of me. I pray that I would have the courage to obey but really can't say. I long to become more like Abraham in my obedience to my Father in Heaven!

Now the chapters describing Jacob and Esau are mind boggling for me. First, the fact that Rebekah was barren and then God not only opened her womb but blessed her with TWINS is such a miracle! Then to have Rebekah cheat one of her own son's out of his blessing is just proof that even women back in Bible times were not any better at parenting then we are today!

Again, throughout the chapters I read today, I see God working in the lives of His people. Those who ask are given, those who have faith are rewarded, those who follow God are blessed! I pray you'll choose to seek God and all that comes with a life rooted in Him!

Day 1: Genesis 1-16

Today is day 1 of my "Reading through the Bible in 90 days" Challenge! I couldn't be more excited about getting to read God's Word and seeing what He has in store for me! I hope this will spur you on to read more of His Word also!

Today we read through Genesis Chapters 1-16. I've always skimmed through the Old Testament, thinking there was nothing applicable to my life as it is today. I know the description of how the World came to be. I know the story of Cain and Able; of Noah and his ark. I know what happens to Abram and Lot. I just didn't ever realize how much it really does apply to my life today!

As I was praying about what I had read in Genesis 1-16 the Lord revealed to me that these chapters do apply to me because He is the same God now that he was then! Did you hear me? The same God that created everything under the Heavens, that gave Adam life and created Eve from man's rib, is the same God I serve today! He is the same God now, in my circumstances, that he was when he told Noah to build an ark and saved him from the devestating flood!

So what does that mean for us in this modern day society, where medicine and technology have advanced further than ever thought possible? What does that mean in terms of our health, our finances, our souls?

Simply put: God is STILL in control! The same God that created the Heavens is still preforming miracles today! The same God that created man, out of His very image, is still healing those who are sick. The same God that confused the tongues of so many men at the tower of Babel is STILL working on our behalf!

I feel like I don't give God as much credit for miracles today. It seems that everything can be explained away and miracles just don't really exist anymore. Doctors are called miracle workers. Financial blessings are because WE did all the work to achieve them. Back in Bible times everything was clearly God's handiwork!

When we see a rainbow in the sky do we thank God for his promise fulfilled to never flood the whole earth again? Or do we simply see light reflecting off the moisture in the air? When a loved one is healed of cancer do we praise God for healing the sick or do we instantly give Doctors and medicines the credit?

We forget that God created everything we see, hear, touch, taste, etc. He created the sun to shine brightly in the day and the moon to glow at night. The same God that brought the earth to be is the God who is watching over you, loving you, smiling down on YOU today!

Genesis 1:1 In the BEGINNING God created the heavens and the earth!