Appointed Times

Daily Reading: Numbers 28

Scripture Focus: The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Command the people of Israel and say to them, ‘My offering, my food for my food offerings, my pleasing aroma, you shall be careful to offer to me at its appointed time.’" (Numbers 28.1-2)

Devotional Thought: Not long ago, I was setting some dates with a friend who sheepishly said, "Now, you're going to need to remind me about this. Since I retired, I know the day of the week, but not the date." I laughed and said I would. Thankfully, I remembered to remind him! But only because I put it on my Google calendar!

Before the advent of Google calendars, God devised a way to remind his people of their relationship to him. It was a cycle of worship that occurred daily, weekly, and on special occasions. He told Moses that the people needed to be careful to offer their worship to God at each "appointed time."

In Numbers 28, God specified morning offerings, Sabbath offerings, Passover offerings, and Feast of Weeks offerings. As the people of God observed these offerings, the habit of worship was engrained into the rhythm of life. There is value in habit and discipline in our spiritual endeavors!

• Do you make a morning offering? It is good to have a daily time with God to set the direction of your day.

• What about a Sabbath offering? Jesus said that God made the Sabbath for humanity. When we observe the Sabbath - one day out of every seven - we are enacting our faith in a God we can trust to provide for us without frantic worry on our part. Weekly worship helps us set and keep our focus on God!

• How about special days? We can use Christian holidays and even the secular calendar to remember God's great actions on our behalf - Jesus' birth, sacrifice, and resurrection - as well as things like a new year, our freedom and God's provision at harvest time.

Keep your appointed times with God!

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for daily, weekly, and annual times that help me draw near to you. Help me, through discipline and repetition, to establish a rhythm of worship in my soul. Amen.

Psalm of the Day: 1 Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. 2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people, from this time forth and forevermore. 3 For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous, lest the righteous stretch out their hands to do wrong. 4 Do good, O LORD, to those who are good, and to those who are upright in their hearts! 5 But those who turn aside to their crooked ways the LORD will lead away with evildoers! Peace be upon Israel! (Psalms 125:1-5)