Weds.’s Devo - You Are the Strength of our Heart

Read: Leviticus 7:28-9:6; Mark 3:31-4:25; Psalm 37:12-29; Proverbs 10:5
The fellowship offering was the offering of praise and worship. It was not required but was voluntary just as our praise and worship is voluntary. It was also called the peace offering to bring peace between God and man. When we bring our offering of praise to the Lord, we establish fellowship and peace with God.
The person who brought their fellowship offering was to wave it himself before the Lord just like we raise our hands in worship to the Lord. Then the priest would take the offering and burn its fat and give the breast to Aaron and his sons to eat. The priest who offers the blood and the fat also gets the the right thigh as his share. So think of the breast being our heart and the thigh being our strength. We give our strength and our heart to the Lord and the fat or excess of our self is burned on the altar. In return, he gives us his strength and his heart. Psalm 29:11 says “The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.”
A priest had to be thirty years of age before he could become a priest (Numbers 4:3, 30, 35, &39). One of the first things that happened was called a mitzvah. It was a bath of cleansing for the priests. Jesus was thirty when he entered his priestly ministry and he had to be baptized first. John didn’t want to baptize him and Jesus’ response was “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.” Matthew 3:15. Everything jot and tittle of the Word is significant!
In Mark, Jesus uses his families demands on him to explain that they were all his family. He, no doubt met with them, but wanted to make the point that they were all equally important to him. Then he gave the parable that all the parables rested on. This parable had to do with how you hear the truth. You can substitute “heart” with the word “soil” and see that it all starts with a person’s heart.
God, you are so perfect and wise. We offer up our prayers of worship and praise to you. May our hearts bless your name and may we walk in your strength and love today. May we have a heart to hear and receive your Word.