I am the LORD your God.

In chapters 18-26 of Leviticus there is a reoccurring theme. God instructing the Israelites to live a certain way, perform a certain sacrifice, have a certain feast, or abstain from a certain activity/food/sin.

And then the sentence following states, “I am the Lord/I am the LORD your God.” Skim through the passages of Leviticus especially chapters 18 and 19 and count how many times this phrase is repeated.

Obey my laws. I am the LORD your God.
Do not be sexually impure. I am the LORD your God.
Do not be defiled. I am the LORD your God.
Do not spread slander or endanger your neighbor. I am the LORD your God.
Do not curse the deaf or cause the blind to fall. I am the LORD
Do not give your children to other Gods. I am the LORD.
Follow me and do not live in your old lifestyle. I am the LORD your God.
Respect your parents and keep my Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.
Reverence MY sanctuary. I am the LORD
Do not worship idols or make gods. I am the LORD your God.
Be generous to the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God.

Do not seek revenge. I am the Lord your God.
I will give you an inheritance. I am the Lord your God.
Be Holy. I am the LORD your God.

As I finished reading Leviticus this morning I started to meditate on this theme. Think about why God would instruct His people and then say “I am the Lord your God.” As I began to read over what God was saying to the Israelites I began to understand why the Lord followed each instruction with “I am the LORD your God.”

In comparison to gift of GOD being their LORD nothing is a sacrifice. I do not feel like I can adequately put this into words. But I pray the Holy Spirit reveals this to you as you read through Lev 18 and 19.

God is saying I am your God. Meditate on this. Sit alone and hear these words… (Insert your name) “I am the LORD your God.” Now think of what the Lord has called you to do and then follow with the words “I am the LORD your God.”

“I am taking you to a new city. I am the LORD your God.”
“Quit your job. I am the LORD your God.”
“Move to another country. I am the LORD your God.”
“Set yourself apart. I am the LORD your God.”
“Don’t cheat on your taxes. I am the LORD your God.”

After reading it over and over again I began to notice a pattern. God is Holy. So he is the expert on how to be holy, how to be like Him. He also is OUR God so he can tell us what to do. It is as if He is saying, “I am YOUR God, You can trust Me. I have the best intentions for your life.”

Really pray about what the LORD is saying in these passages and in your life. He is telling us do good, because He is our God and we are His people. We are the children of God, we should share His heart for our neighbors, the lost and the foreigners.

The fact that we belong to the LORD should cause us to worship differently, live differently and give of ourselves and our resources differently. Yes there are blessing that are promised for those who do these things, but the ultimate blessing is calling the creator of the heavens and the earth the LORD our God.

I pray that as we grow in our love and trust in God we will be able to say..

I will do what you say. You are the LORD my God.
I will go where you call me. You are the LORD my God.
I will give anything that you want. You are the LORD my God.
I will be Holy. You are the LORD my God.

To my girls, may you continue to live lives that are set apart!
Ash B