Purpose
The Torah is the Creator’s instruction for covenant life. Understanding it restores the foundation upon which the teachings of Yahushua stand.
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When Extraordinary Becomes Ordinary
I have written several blogs with the theme of the watchman. A watchman is someone who is prepared for what confronts them. They remain aware of their surroundings and alert to what is happening around them. This subject cuts like a two-edged sword because our desire should be to remain in the presence of Yahweh at all times.
I rarely take anyone with me on my mission trips. There are two reasons for this. First, I am not a tour guide. Second, when I bring someone along, I now have additional responsibilities that can distract from the mission itself.
On one occasion, a woman asked if I would allow her and several youth girls to accompany me to Uganda. I agreed after explaining that she would be responsible for the girls throughout the trip. Following one of the conferences, we were having dinner at the hotel, and I asked the girls what they thought about their experience so far.
One of the girls shared a supernatural experience she had during the conference. I explained that encounters with Yahweh should not be viewed as rare events. They should be a natural part of walking with Him. However, if we are not careful, repeated exposure can reduce our awe, urgency, and reverence.
Hearing Truth Without Responding
This same principle applies when reading Scripture.
I use the Complete Jewish Bible for many of the Scriptures I share, but I often rotate Bible translations during my personal study. Changing versions helps me see familiar passages from a fresh perspective.
What happens when truth becomes routine?
For me, if I read the same wording repeatedly, my mind begins to anticipate the next sentence. Instead of searching for deeper understanding, I simply recognize familiar words. I may be reading truth without truly responding to it.
The same thing can happen when we hear truth. We can become so accustomed to hearing it that it no longer moves us to action.
Routine Versus Reverence
Each day I have a routine for prayer. If I am not careful, that prayer time can become exactly that, a routine.
To prevent this, I bring my questions, observations, and dreams before Yahweh. If a dream seems unusual, I write it down and investigate it further. I seek to understand whether it carries prophetic significance or reveals something that needs attention in my life.
These experiences should always be viewed as gifts and treated with the reverence they deserve.
Routine is not necessarily bad. In fact, discipline is important. The danger comes when routine replaces reverence.
Honoring Yahweh in Everyday Choices
If you have not explored the other sections of our website, you may not know that we also produce cooking videos that we post on our Osprey Ministries YouTube channel.
Food is one of the areas where routine often takes over. Personally, I can eat the same meals every day without much concern. My wife, on the other hand, enjoys variety. One reason I began making these videos was to create new meals for her while also demonstrating simple Biblically based recipes.
The deeper purpose, however, is recognizing that our bodies are temples. The Kingdom begins within us.
Malachi 1:6–8 speaks about honor, respect, and what is placed upon the altar. Eating clean is part of honoring the covenant. In this passage, Yahweh rebukes those who bring polluted offerings before Him:
“You ask, ‘How are we despising your name?’ By offering polluted food on my altar! … Try offering such an animal to your governor, and see if he will be pleased with you!”
The principle remains important. Everything we do should be examined through the lens of honor. Would we willingly place spoiled or poisoned food before a king? Our choices reveal the condition of our hearts.
The Loss of Wonder
As we continue down this road, familiarity can eventually lead to a loss of wonder.
The supernatural can become commonplace. Even enjoyable things, such as favorite meals, can lose their excitement through repetition. Yet when we view every aspect of life as worship, everything changes.
Isaiah 29:13 provides another warning:
“Because these people approach me with empty words, and the honor they bestow on me is mere lip-service; while in fact they have distanced their hearts from me…”
This warning reaches beyond outward actions. It addresses the condition of the heart.
Do we obey because something is merely a command, or do we obey because we desire to honor Yahweh?
The same principle applies to our speech, our worship, and our daily walk. Do we approach Him as someone we genuinely desire to know, or merely as someone from whom we expect blessings? One relationship is built upon intimacy; the other is built upon expectation.
Keeping the Heart Tender
Our relationship with Yahweh should be marked by wonder, gratitude, and a continual desire for a clean heart.
Psalm 51:10–12 reminds us:
“Create in me a clean heart, O Elohim; renew in me a resolute spirit.”
Many of us carry memories of past mistakes that can be difficult to forget. Repentance means turning away from those things and walking in a new direction. It is a continual process of removing what is unclean and allowing Yahweh to transform us from within.
Our work is to build a holy kingdom within ourselves.
Hebrews 12:28–29 encourages us:
“Therefore, since we have received an unshakeable Kingdom, let us have grace, through which we may offer service that will please Yahweh with reverence and fear. For indeed, our Elohim is a consuming fire.”
Yahweh is faithful. His Spirit guides us and teaches us. Yet reverence requires more than words. It is reflected in our choices, our actions, and our willingness to honor what He has spoken.
In all that we do; what we say, what we think, what we eat, and how we live, let us guard against allowing sacred things to become common.
Become the watchman over the kingdom within.
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Looking Ahead
Please subscribe so you do not miss our next Torah for Believers blog:
The Hidden Idols: What We Trust Without Calling It Worship
Idolatry often hides behind comfort, identity, control, possessions, traditions, and self. This blog will explore the subtle things that quietly compete for our allegiance.
There are practices and symbols used in religion today that originated as ancient idols. Do any of them exist within your own home?
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Shalom
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