February 5, 2019
Leviticus 19:37
“‘Keep all my decrees and all my laws and follow them. I am the Lord.’”
New International Version (NIV)
               “But why?”  Everyone who has dialogued with an inquisitive child has heard that question.  Often we know what the standard is, but we may wonder why we must hold to it.

                As God enumerated his laws to his people in the wilderness, they must have wondered, “Why do we have to obey these laws”?  God answers the question again and again in Leviticus with two equally important responses.  First, “Because I, the Lord am holy”.  We saw yesterday that our holy God is different from the gods of the surrounding nations so his people must be different.  This goes to the very nature of God. 

              The second is similar, “I am the Lord your God”.  The word Lord is the translation of God’s revealed name, “I am that I am”.  Why must we obey God?  Because he is God and we are not.  There is a God and I am not he!  With the revelation of God’s name comes a relationship, “Your God”.  Those who do not know God or choose to follow him may care little for what he thinks is right.  But we are his.  We are his people.  He is ours.  He is our God.

              As we look at Jesus in our corporate worship and study of Luke, I have taken issue with those who say about God, “I like to think about God as the kind of God who . . .”   If you like to think of God, good!   But know this:  “I am that I am” is who he is.  He is not a multiple choice question or a fill in the blank answer.  The Lord is your God.  That is why!
Pray with me:    
Father, as we grow in discipleship today, move us beyond our baptism into the obedience of all things you have commanded.  Do not let us fixate at one point of spiritual growth.  Continue to conform us to Jesus.  Thank you for being our God.  Show us what it means when you say you are holy.  Let us live in your world as holy representatives of our good and gracious God, we pray.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.       
This year our Every Day with Jesus readings will follow The Bible Project Read Scripture Plan.  Copies of this reading plan are available at Tallowood Baptist Church, or download 
the app at readscripture.org.  Read through the Bible with us in 2019!
Joyfully, 
Duane 
About Duane Archives
 Copyright 2019. All Rights Reserved.
Manage your preferences | Opt out using TrueRemove™
Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails.
View this email online.
555 Tallowood Road
Houston, TX | 77024 US
This email was sent to .
To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.
Subscribe to our email list.