February 21 - Leviticus 14:33-16:34

Good morning everyone,

Today as I was reading the scripture, to be honest, I found myself cringing at the talk of discharges. It is no secret I have become a bit of a germaphobe, not to the point of scrubbing everything and having a “white glove” clean house, anyone who lives on a farm realizes the dirt involved and knows that that is next to impossible and off my radar. With that in mind, I am a few years outside of my 20’s , few dozen that is, and I am finding that when I get a cold, the flu or any sort of illness it hits me harder and takes a whole lot longer to go away than it use to. I volunteer at the elementary school a couple days a week reading with the fourth graders and there is always someone who has a runny noses and watery eyes, germs just oozing from them; while probably not on the same level as the discharge being spoke about today, Purell is my very best friend when I am there.  

Obviously chronic discharge was a problem for that community. We need to keep in mind that they lived in a very uninformed time. They did not have the benefit of microscopes to look at the squiggly little germs or the benefit of prescription medication so it was especially important that  the symptoms and everything it touched be washed, be kept clean. Because why? Otherwise the disease would spread, sound familiar? Our sin that is outward, seen by others, also needs to be cleaned up; bathed in a continual flow of scripture until whatever area we are struggling in is gone and we are no longer in danger of spreading the disease of sin. Make sense?

In chapter 16 we read about the scapegoat which is one of those words that has been used since, well …  almost the beginning of time. In today’s world we will use it to refer to someone or a group of someones singled out for undeserved, negative treatment or blame, basically a fall guy. In Old Testament time, two goats were brought to Aaron, the Priest, one goat was sacrificed because the wages of sin is death but the second goat, the scape goat,  Aaron would verbally transfer the sins of the nation to and then it would be let go in the wilderness, symbolically taking the sins away, not to be thought of again. Their sins were, as far as they were concerned gone. Psalm 103 tells us, as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. and in Jeremiah 31 God tells us that He will forgive our wickedness and remember our sins no more … no more. Ever!!  Most of us hang on to, continue to remember the sins of our youth or even yesterday, but God does not. The very second we can more than just know that in our head and actually believe it in our hearts, believe God has chosen to forget the sins we confess to Him, the chains that bind you, that bind us all, begin to fall, setting us free. It is very liberating. It is most amazing. It is God.

I would like to tell you it's easy, but the enemy does not want you to be feeling liberated or amazing. I have found that there are some things I have done, sins I committed long ago that I do, in fact, take to the cross. I dump them off like dirty cans to the recycle, knowing that God does not remember them, therefore I should not beat myself up over them either; they're outta here! Then the next thing you know, the enemy has picked them up, and in sly dog style, shoved them back in one of the drawers of my mind. Typically it takes me a bit to realize what’s going on but as soon as I do, back they go. Never give up taking whatever it is you do not forgive yourself for back, to the cross. Some things take longer to get rid of than others, but at some point in time when you keep praying, keep seeking God you will find yourself thinking “ I haven’t thought of that sin in a long time, thank you Jesus!” God loves you, He loves me and God keeps His promises. Amen?!

I pray you have a great day. To God be the glory.

God bless you all …