I’ve got a system going with my local grand boys. I buy snacks and drinks for them and stash them. They get them by coming over, giving me a hug, and hanging out a while.

Hawk just stopped by to say hi with his friend, Ivan. Actually, they came in for cake and a canned drink. I’m not unwise to how 6-year-olds think.

I don’t want a long visit, and they don’t either. What they want are simple carbs. What I want is a relationship, and I’m content to bribe them for it. I’m hoping what they remember most is the love and not the ginger ale.

Coming to God is kind of like this. Love is the way, and today’s passages tell how to do it.

Leviticus 10

It’s a heartbreaking end to what had otherwise been a joy-filled day: two priests die for trying to connect with God in a way he hasn’t ok’d. Nadab and Abihu bring censors filled with burning incense into God’s presence—some commentators think they walked right into the Most Holy Place—and they’re dead on arrival, Le 10:1-2, commentary.

Here’s the backstory: After a week of ordination in their brand new worship tent, Aaron and his four sons—two of whom are Nadab and Abihu—are ready to get to work as priests. They offer the sacrifices God’s commanded, just as he’s said to offer them, while God’s people watch. Afterwards, all Israel is rewarded by a display of God’s glory: fire blazes out from him and consumes all the meat on the altar, Le 9:1-22.

The people cheer loudly and fall face down in worship. It’s a spontaneous and passionate outpouring after seeing God’s glory. Normally, they saw God’s presence with them in the pillar of cloud by day and in the pillar of fire by night. But his glory didn’t normally flame out and burn up offerings on the altar. The people are overwhelmed with God among them—they cheer, they bow down, and they worship, Le 9:23-24.

Maybe this is what got Nadab and Abihu thinking outside the box, that God’s worship rules didn’t apply this time. Usually, coals were banked and the sacrificed meat was left to slow burn all day or all night. But God “consumed” these offerings all at once on this day. It was a miraculous display and out of the ordinary.

Maybe the brothers want to get a piece of glory for themselves. Maybe they’re trying to prove their worth as priests, so they think up a new way to do it. Whatever the reason, on this first day on the job, on the same day when everybody’s just been wowed by God’s glory, these two offer “strange fire” to God, and “fire blazed out…and they died in God’s presence,” Le 10:1-2 MSG.

They broke more priestly rules here than I know, but the main thing is that they tried to connect with God in a way that wasn’t authorized or even possible. They ignored the three kinds of sacrifices that God had commanded—first an offering for sin, then a burnt offering of gratitude, and finally a fellowship offering celebrating restored relationship with him. They jump over all these, wanting to land in communion with God without any preparation, Le 9, commentary.

But the bottom line is this: they come to God their own way.

By their actions, they said they didn’t need the system God set up, the one they’d just been ordained and anointed as priests of, because they’re good enough for God just as they are. Underneath their censors of incense was this belief, “we don’t need saving.” Nadab and Abihu wanted to skip past their sin and go straight into having an experience with God. But God refused them—because being holy means God can’t ignore sin, Le 11:45.

Since Jesus has come as the once-and-for-all sacrifice, we no longer have to offer food sacrifices at a temple to connect with God. But we don’t get to ignore sin any more than Nadab and Abihu could. We still must repent and be grateful for Jesus, whose blood paid for our forgiveness, Ro 3:23-25, He 2:17.

It’s only then that we can enjoy a relationship with God. Without Jesus covering us, God’s holiness would kill us. No one jumps over Jesus and their need of him, “no one comes to the Father except through me,” Jesus said, Jn 14:6 NIV.

So we come to God humbly, confessing our wrongdoing. We come to him gratefully, thankful for Jesus who saves us. We come to him gladly and ready to celebrate, because all the work to connect us is done, and we get to hang out and enjoy him. It’s so simple, even young children can understand it, but it’s also so darn humbling.

Yesterday, Stone, our youngest, invited me to an early breakfast. I missed my time writing since appointments and errands filled up the rest of my day. I also missed the feeling of connection I have when I read and pray first thing.

I carried my disconnection-blues around all day. I couldn’t enjoy a thing I did. Missing a devotional time with God isn’t sin—it’s just unfortunate. But moping around as if I’ve lost my connection with God because of it is sinful, because my relationship with God doesn’t depend on me.

It depends on Jesus.

No wonder I felt crummy. Like Nadab and Abihu, I was looking to my performance to dictate my standing before God. I was trying to be my own Jesus. So I told God that I did it again—I tried to add my goody-goodness to what Jesus did, (and yes, this issue comes up for me a lot if you haven’t noticed).

If I never read another word in the Bible, if I never pray another prayer, if I never do another good deed, I’m still just as loved by my Father, because it’s Jesus’ words and prayers and deeds that count for me. Letting myself feel our connection apart from my doing a thing was sweeter than I know how to tell you.

Come to God through faith in Jesus only.

Mark 4:21-41

Jesus spent the day teaching about God’s kingdom, and at the end of it, he says, “Let’s go across to the other side.” So they go with him across the water in the boat he was teaching from, Mk 4:21-35 MSG.

But a big storm comes along while Jesus is sleeping. Water pours in, and the disciples are afraid of drowning. They wake Jesus, reprimanding him, “Is it nothing to you that we’re going down?” Mk 4:36-38 MSG.

Here they have a need and they have a Savior, but they’re still going down. What’s missing? Faith in what Jesus has already said, which is that they’ll cross to the other side, Mk 4:35.

And while they’ve no faith to speak of, Jesus still saves them.

He calms the sea with a word, and “the wind ran out of breath; the sea became smooth as glass.” Now it’s time for the disciples to be reprimanded, “Don’t you have any faith at all?” Jesus asked them, Mk 4:39-40 MSG.

Faith is key in the Christian life. Jesus often says that someone’s faith in him is what heals or saves them. At least once, he said that because no one believed him, he couldn’t do many miracles where he was, Mt 9:22, 13:58; Mk 5:34, 6:5; Lk 7:50, 17:19, 18:42, 48.

But what do you do when your faith is weak like the disciples? When you’re in a storm, and you’re freaking out, and you just can’t believe?

Remember this: while faith matters, it’s not the main thing. The main thing is that Jesus is your Savior. He has the power to save regardless of whether or not you believe him very much. If you’ll notice, he calmed the sea in the midst of his disciples’ unbelief in him, Mk 4:38-40.

Let your storms drive you to Jesus. Sometimes the best word of faith we can muster is, “Help!” But it’s enough. Jesus said a tiny seed of faith was enough to move even mountains in front of us, Mt 17:20.

Come to God through faith in Jesus.
(And when you can’t trust, ask him for help.)

Psalm 37:30-40

Faith in Jesus doesn’t mean we sit back and do nothing. Far from it. We do our part to seek God. Jesus didn’t save us to indulge ourselves–he saved us to enjoy an intimate relationship with the Father and to love and serve others, Mt 22:35-40.

God gives us the two most powerful devices on earth to do it with: his words in the Bible and our words in prayer. It’s a 2-way communication system—his Sword and our ITalk. Bible reading and prayer just can’t be overvalued.

David understood it.  He says the righteous person is occupied with God’s Word.  He knows it, chews it, rolls it around on his tongue, “his heart pumps God’s Word like blood through his veins,” Ps 37:30-31 MSG.

The righteous also run to God in prayer, because “when we run to him, he saves us.” I seem to need saving daily, if only from myself, and God gives me a “spacious free life” that’s “God strengthened,” because I need it so much, Ps 37:39-40 MSG.

There’s no getting around this simple, ancient 2-step: Know your Bible. Talk to God in prayer. “There’s a future in strenuous wholeness,” and these are the means he gives us to find it, Ps 37:37-40 MSG.

Come to God through his word and prayer.

Prayer

God, I keep wanting my life with you to be about me, but I see, again, that it’s all about you. You reach out, you welcome, you save. You give me your words and prayer. Thank you for Jesus, who made the way to you. After today, I see that coming to you is mainly about responding to how you’ve already come for me. Such relief.

In Jesus’ name.

Proverbs 10:6-7

Blessings pile up on a good-n-honest life, while darkness-n-stench mark the life of the wicked.

You choose.

Passages from Leviticus, Mark, Psalms, and Proverbs are selected for today in The Yearly Bible.