In messages aimed at the Pharisees, Jesus noted that they were obsessed with details of the law.This blinded them to the needs of the people. They failed to treat their neighbors with the grace and faithfulness that God had shown them. In our society today, are we guilty of this also?

The many rules imposed by the Pharisees were designed to give them power, while creating a heavy burden on the people.Jesus brought the Gospel to all, thereby easing the load by showing that they too could have a path to God.

All our lives, we can struggle with our identities. The messages the world gives uscan muddy the waters & confuse us. God reminds us in so many ways that weare His Creation and each of us has value in His eyes.

The habits of our daily lives provide many distractions which can interfere with spiritual growth.Recognizing this, and asking God's help, will provide the means to change & form new habitswhich we can use to grow closer to Him.

Often our life plans are reset by events out of our control & we feel confused & lost.God sometimes does this to us, not to upset us, but to realign us with the goals He has for us.He values us, and has our best interests in mind. 

To reset our faith, we need to remember all that God has done for us, andrecall with awe & wonderment His Creation. But we must desire that which God gives us,so we must ask for God to renew us....and our faith.

Although God had harsh discipline for sin in the Levitical era, His goodness always was evident. Then, as now, if we show repentance, and resume livingwithin His limits, He will always welcome us back to His realm.

One of God's Commandments is to keep the Sabbath & make it holy. God set the example when He rested after 6 days of Creation; He did this in contemplation & appreciation.We need a rest day to give thanks and appreciate all that He has done for us.

God established His rules to bring order to His people by establishing boundaries.He also wanted His community to look more closely at Creation, that they might see that all things are holy. We need to adjust our vision to see this as well.

In Levitical times, chaos & brutality were commonplace. God replaced this with order & kindness; He desired community with us. Sacrifices were to be the best of what one had to give.This was the preview of God's own sacrifice of His Son....the very best of His Kingdom,so that we could be in community with Him.