“But to the tribe of Levi, Moses gave no inheritance; the Lord God of Israel is their inheritance, just as He said to them.” (Joshua 13:33 ESV)
Maybe the Levites were disappointed that other tribes were getting possessions as their inheritance, but they received what was most important. They received the Lord. As a child I would have read that and thought that they got the short end of the stick. But reading this as an adult I think they hit the jackpot!
“You open Your hand; You satisfy the desire of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His works. The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. He fulfills the desire of those who fear Him; He also hears their cry and saves them. The Lord preserves all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy. My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh bless His holy name forever and ever.” (Psalm 145:16-21 ESV)
They hit the jackpot because the Lord is so good to us. He is righteous, kind and near to all of us. He wants to give us whatever we desire and is there to help in our distress. We need to praise Him for all these things and more!
“Thus says the Lord; stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Pay attention to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not pay attention.’ There fore hear, O nations, and know, O congregation, what will happen to them. Hear, O earth; behold, I am bringing disaster upon this people, the fruit of their devices, because they have not paid attention to my words; and as for my law, they have rejected it.” (Jeremiah 6:16-19 ESV)
Whoa to those who refuse to listen to the Lord. He truly blesses those who love and obey Him. But He gives us freedom to choose. If we choose to hold our ears to His voice, there will be disaster.
“For the kingdom of Heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ So the last will be first, and the first last.” (Matthew 20: 1-16 ESV)
Everything comes from God as He made it all. Whether we come to Christ as a 5 year old or a 90 year old, the gift of salvation is ours. There is no competition. We are all on equal ground. He is just as proud of those who have served Him their whole lives as those who have only served Him a day. Praise be to God!
Thank you Lord for your kindness and generosity. Help me to always obey as my way of showing You and those around me to whom I belong.
Kellie
Sixty-six books in a year 