…I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 19:4b
Father, when I think about how far I am away from true holiness, how I struggle with sin and my own selfishness, getting caught up in the things of this world, I often get discouraged because I feel I just can’t do it. When it gets at its worst is when I don’t want to do it, when some personal agenda I have either concocted in my mind or been presented by someone takes center stage in my desires. That’s when the battle is real!
Today, as I started reading in Leviticus and came across Your command for us to be holy, to revere our parents, to keep the Sabbaths, and not make idols, my head started going back to Exodus where You first declared it. Then I saw those two words: your God. Repeated three times in those four verses they resonated within my soul and reminded me of the central compelling message of the Scriptures, Your urgings for me: For me to do what I do for You not out of obligation or mere obedience but because I love You. You are my God. This is not about possessions, like when I say my phone, my car or my house. This is about relationship, like when I say my brother, my sister, my friend, my parents. And in this You said, “I am YHWH your God.” This, a statement identifying Yourself by Name and making it intimately personal. You are mine!
I worship You, my God this day. Though I could raise my hands in praise to You for all You have done for me, I praise and worship You this day because of Who You are to me. I’m not just talking about You being my Provider, Helper, Deliverer, Healer – the list could go on and on about how You infuse Your power into my life and “do” for me. No. The focus of my praise today is on You for being my Father, my Brother and my Friend. It is for the relational joy I get from being in Your Family. I was a spiritual orphan and You adopted me, bringing me in. And You loved me in ways so amazing and wonderful that I cannot wrap my head around them! You made it personal. You made me personal. Hallelujah! Thank You for wrapping Your loving arms around me and being here, right now in this moment, always for me. Thank You for reminding me that I am the focus of Your love, that even now You are rejoicing over me with singing! Thank You for being my all-in-all. Thank You for being the LORD my God! Know, that I am now and forever Yours! Amen!