March 1

Leviticus 24:1-25:46, Mark 10:13-31, Psalm 44:9-26, Proverbs 10:20-21

Pray: Lord, You give us a clear guide in Your Word today that God’s people are to set aside crops, livestock, and possessions so You might “redeem them”. Today helps us to see that You have the capacity to redeem our habits, our families, our jobs, our homes and our marriages. Let us not only pray for the redemption of these areas but give us the courage and strength to live into the redemption of these vital areas of our lives.

Read: The scriptures declare that God is just and when a sin or act of sin has been committed it must be made right through punishment or through redemption where someone beyond us or God Himself buys it back or redeems it.  Secondly, our hearts are raised in radical ways as we look at the ways God redeems persons when they are enslaved to debt, to redeem the livestock, and the land. God wants to “buy back” or redeem what was once spoiled due to sinful acts and mistakes.

Edify: Speaking of redemption, it would not be complete unless we speak of the year of Jubilee. It is adding up seven years times seven years or every 49 years to have a season when all debts are forgiven, when interest is not charged on loans, and people are preparing the hearts of the people for the Day of Atonement in the fiftieth year. The poor and the enslaved can be redeemed. In Mark’s Gospel we find the parents bringing their children to be blessed or “redeemed”, if you will, by Jesus. Can their young lives be refreshed and renewed so they might enjoy a prosperous life? 

Practice: The young ruler is struggling with “inheriting eternal life”. Jesus tells the young ruler he just lacks one thing… "Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” The Old Testament lesson speaks of redeeming those in prison, and those who are slaves. The young ruler believed his spiritual scorecard was so high that he was a prisoner to what he thought was most important. He was thinking solely about his salvation, his well-being, and Jesus was saying to him, “Put God first in your life, your finances, by trusting in God enough to give away what you have to the poor so God can redeem your self-focused world.”

Today, will you pray for the needs of others? Will you think of others and seek to help someone today who is in need of kindness, encouragement, or to help the poor?