Today is a day where I learned a lot – the life of one being discipled – but no real challenge to be – except maybe for the usual. In other words, nothing unusual in my readings. Let me share some brief learnings.

And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the Lord spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old. I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming. So now give me this hill country of which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the Lord said.” – Joshua 14:10-12  ESV

My takeaway – I can ask the Lord for some geography to claim for Him. I recently did this about a month ago. I asked God for the city of Barrie and it is my prayer that He will give it to me. I also asked for Alliston but I think that town I am supposed to serve in rather than conquer.

Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly,^[a] holding to the tradition of the elders, and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.^[b] And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.^[c]) And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” – Mark 7:1-5  ESV

This is real hard for me. I cannot discern between when it is right or wrong to follow tradition and the law and when to apply grace. I mean when David ate the bread that only priests were allowed to eat – I would never had done that.  I might have broken another law or two but not that one. I still struggle but I use one principle that seems to set me at ease – Love God, Love people.  If I can do that in my comings, and goings and musings, I think I can be the person of love that God wants me to be, even though I may get it wrong from time to time.