My Year of Jubilee

I'm not going to lie. Reading Leviticus was not warm and fuzzy for me. It is about Holiness and the very clear instructions were spelled out as to how the people were to handle sin of any kind in that time. The laws reminded me how seriously God takes our sin.

As hard as it was to read, here are some of the verses that stood out to me this week:

"You are to wash the internal organs and the legs with water, and the priest is to bring all of them and burn them on the altar. It is a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the LORD." (Lev 1:13)

I read where "an aroma pleasing to the LORD" is a way of saying that God accepted the sacrifice because of the people's attitude. God knows our attitude when we ask forgiveness. Do you remember being a child and being told by your parents to say you were sorry? Sometimes I wasn't really sorry. God knows our heart and he knows when we are sincere or when we aren't.

“‘In this Year of Jubilee everyone is to return to their own property." (Lev 25:13) The Year of Jubilee was meant to be celebrated every 50 years. You can read all about it here.

I've noticed that many people from Michigan love to retire in Florida or someplace warm. At the end of their life though, they usually return to the place they were born. I've seen it happen in my own family. I never realized it was Biblical. It just seems natural.

I can relate to the Year of Jubilee since I will be celebrating my 50th birthday next week. Actually I will be celebrating this birthday many times (grin)! But there is something about it that has made me reflect deeply and ask myself (with the help of The Holy Spirit) how I want to live differently in the next 50 years. Am I loving God with all my heart, soul and mind? Am I really trusting Him with my life and with every decision? Am I going to Him first? Am I loving His children like He does? Am I dying to myself or living selfishly? Am I honest and trustworthy? Do I gossip? Do I forgive easily? Am I compassionate, generous and genuine? Do I "get it"? Am I pointing people to Jesus? Am I giving Him all of the credit for anything good that comes my way? Am I taking care of my body/His temple? Am I a faithful servant? Am I Martha or Mary? Am I respecting my husband? Am I making anything other than Him my idol? Do I make it a habit of being grateful in all circumstances? For me it is so much more than a celebration. God has been SO good to me in these 50 years!

"The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy." (Lev 19:1-2)

In His Love and with Gratitude for a wonderful 50 years,
Angie