The LORD Is Our Portion - Deuteronomy 10-12

Deuteronomy 10:9 (ESV)

Therefore Levi has no portion or inheritance with his brothers. The LORD is his inheritance, as the LORD your God said to him.)

This might be one of the hardest truths to live out in our faith toward God.  The tribe of Levi is an example and/or template for all believers.  Whereas the rest of the tribes will be allotted a portion of the promised land, Levi will get no land.   There “lot” in life was the LORD.    That almost makes having God as your “lot” is a consolation prize.   Having a special relationship with God IS NOT a consultation prices.     We tend to put all things of this earth as our preferred “lots” in life.  But unless we are willing to give up all for God (as the tribe of Levi was required to do), we can’t really fully embrace what God wants for us.  In addition, we will actually miss out on what God actually has for us.   This is a weekly prayer list to remind us to be like the tribe of Levi ... making Him our portion:

Luke 14:33 (ESV)

33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

NOTHING IN YOU THAT HAS NOT DIED WILL EVER BE RAISED FROM THE DEAD. 

(C.S. Lewis- Mere Christianity)

MONDAY

Luke 14:26 (ESV)

26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

TUESDAY 

Matthew 10:39 (ESV)

39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

WEDNESDAY 

Matthew 16:25 (ESV)

25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

THURSDAY 

Mark 8:35 (ESV)

35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it.

FRIDAY 

Luke 9:24 (ESV)

24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.

SATURDAY 

Luke 17:33 (ESV)

33 Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.

SUNDAY 

John 12:25 (ESV)

Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

Quit Judging Others - James 4-5

James 4:12 (ESV)

There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

God reserves the right to judge people.  We do not.  There are a number of verses in God’s word about God being THE judge:

Isaiah 33:22 (ESV)

For the LORD is our judge; the LORD is our lawgiver;

the LORD is our king; he will save us.

Psalms 50:4 (ESV)

He calls to the heavens above

and to the earth, that he may judge his people:

Ecclesiastes 12:14 (ESV)

For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

Hebrews 12:23 (ESV)

and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,

There are also a lot of verses, like the above, that tell us NOT to judge others:

Matthew 7:1 (ESV)

“Judge not, that you be not judged.

Luke 6:37 (ESV)

“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;

John 8:7 (ESV)

And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Romans 2:1 (ESV)

Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.

James 2:13 (ESV)

For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

We are not the judge of others.  We don’t have the holiness to do so.  God is the perfect judge because He is perfectly holy.   Only those without sin can judge those with sin.