Fri.’s Devo - Walking By Faith

Read: Leviticus 1:1-3:17; Mark 1:29-2:12; Psalm 35:17-28; Proverbs 9:13-18
Welcome to Leviticus which is the laws concerning the Levites. I love Leviticus because it is a book to Christians. Today we read about the burnt offering, the meat offering of flour, and the peace offering. Jesus was all of these offerings. He was the burnt offering on the cross. He was a perfect lamb from his own people or flock. Jesus was the sacrifice that was laid upon the wood altar of the cross. He was a sweet savor to the Lord.
The meat offering is really bread because the Word is our bread and our meat. Mixed with the oil of the Holy Spirit, it brings us life. Jesus was the bread that was unleavened (without sin). It was to be seasoned with salt. Jesus spoke of salt in the sermon on the mount. He said that we are the salt of the earth and if we lose that savor then it is not good for anything but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men. Salt in the Greek means prudence. Prudence means that you have sound judgment and can advise others. It also means that you are a careful manager of your money. When we aren’t prudent, then the world sees us as hypocrites and our testimony is ruined.
The peace offering is our sacrifice of thanksgiving. Jesus freely gave up his life as an offering of praise to his Father and we can offer that same thanksgiving of praise for what he did for us. Colossians 1:20 tells us that Jesus made peace through his blood on the cross to reconcile all things unto himself.
Yesterday, we read where Jesus made his first two disciples, Simon (Peter) and James. It was the Sabbath and Jesus had just left the synagogue. He went to Simon’s house to find his mother in bed with a fever. Jesus took her by the hand and lifted her out of the bed, healed. Once the Sabbath was over at sunset, people flocked to his house to be healed and delivered.
Jesus healed a man with leprosy. We know that this man was a Jew because Jesus told him to go and show the priests and not tell anyone, but the man didn’t go to the priests, he told everyone instead.
The priests had come up with their own litmus test of what the Messiah would have to do to be the true Messiah. In their man-made laws, the Messiah would 1. heal a Jewish leper, 2. heal a man born blind, and 3. heal a deaf and dumb man. Jesus wanted his miracle to be a sign to them that he was here. This man’s testimony brought so many people, Jesus had to retreat to the Gentile town of Capernaum. He did get a few days of rest before they found out where he was and flocked there. The scribes were there to watch and decide if he was the Messiah. When Jesus forgave the sins of the man with the palsy, they accused Jesus of speaking blasphemy. Jesus asked them which was easier - to say his sins were forgiven or to heal him. To show them that he could back his words up with power, he healed the man and he took up his bed and walked home.
As the church, we have been able to speak the truth but we have not backed it up with power. That is our next step. All we have to do is pray the prayer of faith, Jesus will do the rest.
Lord, give us boldness to step out in what you tell us to do without having to know what the outcome is going to be. Help us to walk by faith.