Tues.’s Devo - Choose Faith

Read: Leviticus 16:29-18:30; Mark 8:11-38; Psalm 42:1-11; Proverbs 10:17
The tenth day of the seventh month was the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:27). It was the day that the High Priest would take the sacrifice into the Holy of Holies to atone for the sins of the nation and pray for prosperity for the next year. All the people were to fast and repent. It was a holy day. All sacrificing had to be done in the outer courts of the Tabernacle. The people were commanded to stop sacrificing to the goat demons. Everyone in the community whether they were Jews or not, they were to celebrate this day. No one was to drink blood or they would be cut off from the community because the life of the body is in the blood.
Everything that gives us our life and determines our identity is in our blood. It is a picture of the fact that our spiritual identity and all our hope is in his blood. It is our supernatural power. Everyone is looking for a magic potion to youth, health, wealth and everlasting life and we have it in the blood of Jesus - we just have to believe it. Faith is the key to activation.
God gave them a list of what not to do and he explained that the Egyptians and the inhabitants of the land that they were to displace all did these detestable and perverse acts. But, they were to be set apart and different.
In Mark, Jesus had a Gentile woman stop him and beg him to set her demonized daughter free. In Matthew 15 we have the same story and she addressed him as the Messiah. Jesus brought out the fact that his commission was to the Jew and she was not Jewish. She had a lightning-fast answer that even the dogs got to eat the crumbs from the master’s table. Jesus marveled at her answer. She pulled out of the future what she wanted then. It was the Gentile’s future to get the kingdom also. Mary did the same thing at the marriage when she pulled the miracle out of Jesus. He said it wasn’t time, but she saw the immediate need.
Jesus marveled at two things while here on earth: unbelief and faith. What do we want him to marvel about us? I want it to be my faith!
Lord, help us to cause you to marvel at our faith - that we actually believe your Word, and that you will do whatever you have written in it, and you will do it for us.