March 31, Reading 1 – Leviticus 7:11-38

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

The offerer and his family and friends ate the Thanksgiving or Fellowship offering. Everything left by the third day had to be thrown out. We don’t always understand why God says things, but this passage should convince us to trust Him. We know today that there are good reasons not to eat un-refrigerated cooked meat a few days past its preparation!

SJA Notes

* Faithful God, who is like You in the heavens? Please be our God today.

“… Shall be cut off from his people.”

This warning, rule and commandment, it repeated throughout this passage.

Israel were to take God seriously. To make sure they listened to Him and followed how He told them to act and behave.

To be cut off from God’s people was a terrible thing to consider (whether it points to death by the people, death by God’s providence in other means, a casting out for life, or something else).

Today we need to take God seriously – Because He has saved us into His people.

God tells us how we can please Him (doing what He says, choosing obedience instead of sin).

Paul drives this home in Romans ch 6,

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?”

We were slaves to sin, but now we are slaves to obedience which leads to righteousness.

God wants us to take Him and His word seriously.

Am I doing this today?

* Dear Lord God,

Thank You for these passages from Your word that call us to take You seriously.

Please help us to do what You tell us to.

Amen.

March 31, Reading 2 – Psalm 107

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

The theme of this psalm is the great love of the LORD. You can bring the content of the psalm up to date New Testament-wise by correlating its stanzas with incidents and episodes from the life of Jesus.

SJA Notes

* Thank You Lord for Your steadfast love, for Your wondrous works to the children of man!

“Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD.”

These words are the book-ends of this psalm, beginning and end – Consider!

What are we to consider?

God’s steadfast love.

What is one way the psalmist points out how God shows this love?

We read over and over,

“Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.”

God’s love is not flaky or without purpose. God’s love is not a whisper for a moment in time.

God’s love is STEADFAST.

Again and again the Lord has delivered His people from their distress, out of turmoil and trouble.

God’s love is real. He enacts it for His people as they come to Him in repentance, crying out for salvation.

This is God’s pattern.

He delivers us from our distress!

* Great God,

Thank You for Your steadfast love, shown to us so clearly in Jesus, our King and Saviour.

Please melt the hearts of our unbelieving family and friends, our neighbours and colleagues and those we meet throughout the day.

May they cry out to You in their trouble. Please save them.

Amen.

March 31, Reading 3 – Mark 1:21-45

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Mark emphasises the power or authority of Jesus over evil spirits, disease, leprosy. One favourite word of Mark is ‘immediately’. This is what interested ancient Romans – power and action.

SJA Notes

* Holy God, Your word is the only truth we need today. Please help us listen and obey.

“I know who you are – the Holy One of God.”

The world is a big place, great swathes of it are hidden to us through our lives. We cannot know it all, or even come close.

The spiritual realities are deep and wide.

And they are inhabited by both the armies of God and the armies of darkness.

As Jesus, God in the Person of the Son, started His three-year ministry there was an eruption of visible spiritual battle.

Visible because people were specifically and clearly affected.

With all of this, we see that the evil spirits knew who Jesus was. They knew He was the true anointed one, holy (set apart).

Their perspective was one of fear and loathing.

But ours is to be that of Peter in John chapter 6,

“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

Evil fled from the presence of the King of Kings.

We need to repent and believe and be welcomed into that presence – Into the arms of our Saviour.

Hallelujah, what a Saviour He is!

* God Above,

Your Name is mighty and set apart, holy.

Please help us to bear Your Name well.

Your word is good for every aspect of life.

Please help us use it well.

Your love is steadfast and faithful.

Please help us love others as You have loved us.

Amen.