Numbers 28:1-7 - The LORD said to Moses, "Give these instructions to the people of
Israel: The offerings you present to me by fire on the altar are my food, and
they are very pleasing to me. See to it that they are brought at the appointed
times and offered according to my instructions. "Say to them: When you present your daily
whole burnt offerings to the LORD, you must offer two one-year-old male lambs
with no physical defects. One lamb will be sacrificed in the morning and
the other in the evening. With each lamb you must offer a grain offering
of two quarts of choice flour mixed with one quart of olive oil. This is the regular burnt offering ordained at
Mount Sinai, an offering made by fire, very pleasing to the LORD. Along with it you must present
the proper drink offering, consisting of one quart of fermented drink with each
lamb, poured out in the Holy Place as an offering to the LORD.
The Lord reminded Moses that the offerings
presented to him were of great importance. He wanted to make sure that everyone
had been told that a daily…weekly…monthly offering was ordained and demanded by
the God they served. He even had them bring special offerings at Passover and
the Feast of the Harvest. They were to
follow these strict guidelines …and to know what perfect male animal should be
sacrificed at each specific time. Each one included a grain offering to be
burned… and a required amount of strong drink to be poured out around the altar….for
God to savor as a bountiful meal….his food …a meal to fit a king.
I never really thought about the offerings
I give as a meal for God…but I love the analogy God established here. I sure eat my 3 meals a day….and enjoy a
leisurely meal on Sunday…even celebrate with a bigger feast than usual on
certain holidays. My fatty liver… as
those recent cholesterol tests said…is even having trouble cutting down on the portions
it is used to. But I admit readily that I only offer morsels of my time and
resources to God most days….Sundays being the only time I really give him a
huge chunk of time in worship and praise.
We don’t have to sacrifice lambs and bulls
and grain…or pour out wine at his altar…God sent Jesus to fulfill the
requirements for blood sacrifices when he died on that cross for each of our
sins. But this scripture reminds me that
I need to devote more of my day to God. The meager 30 minutes I spend each
night reading his word…and journaling notes from commentaries….and the hour spent
in the morning…. processing and writing what he leads me to write….is a scant
meal…barely able to keep our relationship alive.
I am reminded of other people in the Bible
who modeled for us how to increase the meals we serve God each day. Daniel 6:10 says…. “But
when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down
as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He
prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his
God. And David wrote in Psalm 55:17… “Morning, noon, and night I cry out in my distress, and the LORD
hears my voice.” The strong relationship they enjoyed was based on the huge
amount of time they devoted to feeding themselves on the words of God...and
spending time meditating on the promises of his word. Their relationship included a huge block of
time for God to speak to them directly in prayer.
I have known for some time I need to work
on my prayer routines. Sure…I can utter a few words as I raise my head in the
morning….or lay down to sleep at night….and ask God to bless what I read…..and
I can even spend extra time with him on
Sunday….but I am convinced now that God is telling me to get serious about how
and when I pray. I need to spend as much
time or more feeding my spiritual soul…as I do my physical body….and learn to petition
God …the way Daniel and David did …and not just for my own needs…but for the needs
of others.
I have a surface relationship with God at
best…that mimics the surface relationship I have with most of the people in my
life. God spends way more time on me
than I do on getting to know him…and what he needs me to do here on Earth. My
love for God should drive me to wake with excitement to see him…like those
Christmas mornings we couldn’t wait to see what Santa left us under that tree.
My love for Christ should drive me to run to his feet every morning...every evening…and
every moment of every day that I can squeeze out of my hectic schedule. I need to stop starving God…and start feeding
him the best that I have!
Father…I thank you for the reminder that
what I offer to you each day as an offering of praise…is your meal for that day. Help me this morning to increase the meager portions
I give you each morning and evening…to find time during the day to come to you
and ask for sustaining strength to do what you have placed me here to do. Turn
my time of study and prayer into a search for you…to deepen the surface
relationship you have sustained for me.
Show me how to ferment my time…and let the wisdom you give me each day
grow in my heart…so I can share it with others…and lessen the number of people
that do not know you…and increase the number of people who will join me in
heaven some day in a continual party of praise for your son that died in my
place and reserved my spot at your feet with him. Amen.
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