It’s already halfway thru this year, and I’m not sure I can say that I appreciate that the time is flying.  There is only so much summer and I have not tapped into it except marvel that it came without me watching. I need a summer’s worth of time to prep for daily life, not even if I was going to take any time off,  just to absorb the day. I don’t take time, it seems, to take time in, but that’s ok, I will find one day here, one day there. I’m going to force myself to take the time. This weekend I will take a 4 day weekend, I am blessed for that. I think the best time to take is where we can JUST BE. Clear our minds. That’s why a daily offering of peace is best offered to the Lord, for us take time to be, time that we tap into His peace to pursue the rest of the day. Give God the best first. Do not leave God out of your morning, He IS the one who gave it to you. He is the Light before we see it. He is the Rest before we take it. He is the Word before we speak it. He is the Life before we live it.

God wants the best of us from us, not  just because He gives us the best, Himself, but because He knows HE IS the best for us. This is HIS COVENANT always, to give us the best. And where does He give us His best? His Word for thoughtful feasting. He wants us to find Him in the lines, not between them. My offering of time to Him is the best time of my day. My quiet morning I know I won’t have in the evening. I am awake and the house is quiet. He and I can JUST BE. 

Like the grain offerings of Moses’s time (in Leviticus), the best portion is reserved for the Lord. Our best thoughts and prayer times are when we take listening time too. Our life offering back to the Lord is showing how we use the info, and be the salt and light of the day. “Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings…”

All the offerings of Moses’s day took time to prepare or to cook. We need to spend the time, not just buy the time, buy the offering or bypass the whole thing. This is not breadcrumbs so we can return to the Lord at the end of the day – this is the best loaf offering to start the day WITH the Lord. The stickiness of His dough will bind to your day. The aroma will linger and guide. The taste of Him is all we need for sustenance.  Rest is both resting time and the rest of the day of time. He gives both.

Time, resources, and skills are given into our lives for serving Him. Give Him the best and watch what He builds out of the rest.

Amen. 

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Leviticus 2

The Grain Offering

“‘When anyone brings a grain offering to the Lord, their offering is to be of the finest flour. They are to pour olive oil on it, put incense on it and take it to Aaron’s sons the priests. The priest shall take a handful of the flour and oil, together with all the incense, and burn this as a memorial portion on the altar, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord. The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the food offerings presented to the Lord.

“‘If you bring a grain offering baked in an oven, it is to consist of the finest flour: either thick loaves made without yeast and with olive oil mixed in or thin loaves made without yeast and brushed with olive oil. If your grain offering is prepared on a griddle, it is to be made of the finest flour mixed with oil, and without yeast. Crumble it and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering. If your grain offering is cooked in a pan, it is to be made of the finest flour and some olive oil. Bring the grain offering made of these things to the Lord; present it to the priest, who shall take it to the altar. He shall take out the memorial portion from the grain offering and burn it on the altar as a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord. The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the food offerings presented to the Lord.

“‘Every grain offering you bring to the Lord must be made without yeast, for you are not to burn any yeast or honey in a food offering presented to the Lord. You may bring them to the Lord as an offering of the firstfruits, but they are not to be offered on the altar as a pleasing aroma. Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings.

“‘If you bring a grain offering of firstfruits to the Lord, offer crushed heads of new grain roasted in the fire. Put oil and incense on it; it is a grain offering. The priest shall burn the memorial portion of the crushed grain and the oil, together with all the incense, as a food offering presented to the Lord.