Gems of Knowledge

Today’s One Year Bible Verses: Leviticus 13:1-59, Mark 6:1-29, Psalm 39:1-13, Proverbs 10:10

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What Lies Beneath?

“The priest will examine the affected area of the skin…” – Leviticus 13:3 (NLT)

Leviticus 13 reads like a medical manual. It describes rashes, swelling, discoloration, and infection in careful detail. The priest was instructed to look closely, to examine depth, to determine whether something was spreading beneath the surface.

It was practical. It protected the community. Disease left unchecked could spread quickly.

But if we dig a little deeper prayerfully with the Lord, He reveals to us more. He is our High Priest and wants to examine us to make sure we stay clean.

The priest did not glance casually at the wound. He examined it carefully. He looked for depth. He watched to see if the spot was growing. He sometimes waited seven days and looked again. He understood that not every irritation was the same. Some were temporary. Others had roots.

That careful process reveals something about how God deals with us.

Not every struggle in our lives is identical. Some issues are surface-level — quick words spoken in frustration, small missteps, things easily corrected when brought into the light. Others go deeper – Resentments that linger and grow. Pride that quietly hardens. Bitterness that forms beneath an old wound. When ignored, these things rarely remain contained. They fester and spread.

Leviticus 13 shows us that what spreads in us really matters.

The purpose of examination was never humiliation. It was restoration. The priest’s role was not to condemn but to discern, to protect, and ultimately to declare clean. If we will submit to our High priest He will gently examine us, quarantine us if necessary, and make our wounds white as snow!

He examines us like a shepherd lovingly examines his sheep. He inspects us and quarantines us out of mercy and love to heal us, make us new, and restore us to His flock. We see this beautifully illustrated in Isaiah 1:18:

“’Come now, let’s settle this,’ says the LORD. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.’”

He wants to make us white again.

Later in the chapter, when everything turned white, the priest could pronounce the person clean. What had once appeared alarming became a sign that the infection had run its course, was now gone and healing had begun.

Full exposure brought clarity. What is brought fully into the light can be made clean.

Jesus, our High Priest, still examines hearts today. He sees beneath the surface. He knows what is spreading and what is simply irritation. His examination is not driven by accusation but by mercy. He does not expose in order to shame. He exposes in order to heal.

Hidden infection festers.
Exposed infection heals.

Leviticus 13 reminds us that holiness is not about pretending nothing is wrong. It is about allowing God to look closely, patiently, and truthfully at what lies beneath.

Will you let Him examine you today? 💎

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Action (5 Minutes with God)

Today, take a quiet moment and ask the Lord to search beneath the surface of your heart. If something has been spreading, bring it fully into His light. Do not manage it. Surrender it. Then ask Him:

• “Lord, what do you want me to know about this?”
  • Be sure to journal what He reveals through His Holy Spirit.
• Then ask, “Lord, What do you want me to do?”
  • Journal what He whispers so you can’t forget – then do it!

Let today be a day of inspection, quarantine and healing. Let your High Priest, Jesus, make you white as wool.

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Prayer

Lord, You see beneath the surface of my life. Nothing is hidden from You. If there is anything spreading in my heart — resentment, pride, fear, or hidden sin — reveal it gently and clearly. I do not want irritation to become infection. Though my sins were scarlet, thank You for making them white as snow. Help me to hear You clearly. Cleanse me fully and restore what needs healing. I trust Your examination because I trust Your mercy, amen.

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