May 30, 2024, Day 5 of Week 9

Daily Dose of Hope

May 30, 2024

Day 5 of Week 9

Scripture:  Numbers 6-7; Hebrews 13

Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements New Hope Church’s Bible reading plan.  Let’s get right into our Scripture for today.

Numbers 6 speaks of the Nazirites.  A man or woman could make a vow to become a Nazirite.  The purpose of this was to draw closer to God and separate oneself from the pleasures and comforts of the world.  For that reason, they had very specific things they could not do, including cut their hair or drink alcoholic beverages.  One wasn’t a Nazirite forever but rather for a specified period of time. There were some pretty famous Nazirites in the Bible, including Samson and John the Baptist.  Don’t confuse being a Nazirite with the word Nazarene, which is someone from the town of Nazareth in Israel. 

Numbers 7 details the offerings brought by the leaders of each tribe to dedicate the tabernacle.  It was quite a lot of stuff!  I find it interesting how detailed the Scripture is about what was brought.  You may have noticed that each leader brought the same offerings, with one leader per day bringing their offerings before God.  It should be noted that since everyone brought exactly the same thing, no one tribe could claim to be more generous or worthy.  It was all for God’s glory, not their own. 

Moving on to Hebrews 13.  This is an interesting chapter.  It’s filled with words of encouragement (and maybe even warning) about what it means to follow Jesus faithfully.  There are instructions on hospitality, fidelity in marriage, and even avoiding the love of money.  There is also instruction to be content. 

Why should we seek to be content?  The author then answers that question with some text from the Old Testament (words from Deuteronomy and Joshua) to provide evidence that God is always with us.  We can be content, we can make it through tough times, because we have the presence and power of God with us at all times.  This is what’s real: God has always walked with his people through hardships and challenges. Why would now be any different? 

Think about the many, many instances in Scripture in which God walked alongside his people, providing for them and sustaining them.  There was the time in the wilderness, there was the exile, there was the ministry of Jesus and the disciples, and there was the work of the early church, among many others.  Think about the many times in your own life in which God walked alongside you.  How has God sustained you in times of struggle, in loneliness, in grief, in tough financial situations, in illness, etc.?  We serve a God who will never leave us or forsake us.  And because of that, we don’t have to fear.  We can make a decision to trust him. Remember, trust is not a feeling but a decision we make. 

What’s your contentment level today?  Have you made a decision to trust Jesus?

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki