your own... personal... priest

Today we read from Judges 17:1-18:31 in the One Year Bible. Micah is trying to be a good guy, mostly so that "things will go well for him", but as the Bible very pointedly points out, at that time there was no judge or king to teach Israel, so "everyone did what was right in their own eyes." Micah gets one of the Levites to come live with him, and he pays him and feeds him so he'll be his own personal priest, to bless him and his house.

Often we treat God that way today. I mean, most of us don't own priests, or make idols out of silver that we worship in our homes. But we DO create our own idea of who God is, and try to placate Him in order for Him to bless us. Many times we're more interested in Him helping us get what we want, than we are in finding out what He wants for us and doing that.

But the good news is that what He wants for us is much, much better than what we think we want for ourselves. What He wants for us is what He created us to do, and we'll find the greatest satisfaction and meaning in doing it.

So let's not be like Micah. Let's seek God's face, and ask what He wants us to do, and do that. We'll be glad we did.

God, thanks for wanting what's best for us. Help us to find it and do it.