God loves you so much that He made a way for you to come to Him, know Him, and love Him. Yet true access to God demands a true understanding of Him, so God gave us Leviticus.

In Leviticus, God drew His people to know Him as He really is—pure and holy. He loved them too much to let them settle for a false god or a reduction of His holy character. God devised ways for His people to experience a holy relationship with Him—He gave them rules. The rules weren’t a way to earn a relationship with Him. Rather, they were to guide the Israelites’ relationship with Him. The rules kept their hearts focused on the true God and brought them security.

Just as a loving parent provides protective boundaries for her child, God provides rules for us, His children. But it isn’t following the rules and staying in the boundaries that win God’s favor; we already have His favor because we have His Son, Jesus.

Because God loves us, He lets us know what is expected. He gives us rules and boundaries so we can approach Him with faith and purity. He gives us His commandments, and “His commands are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).

Because God loves you, He makes a way for you to come to Him through His Son Jesus, and He also gives you rules so you can enjoy your best life with Him. But don’t let the rules trip you up—God uses them as guard rails to keep you walking with and toward Him. And don’t let any rules from God become a substitute for a relationship with God. “This is what the LORD has commanded you to do, so that the glory of the LORD may appear to you” (Leviticus 9:6).

God wants you to come to Him, know Him, and be with Him because He loves you. He promises, “I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people” (Leviticus 26:12). Thank Him today for being a loving Father who values you enough to show you the way to walk with Him, and ask Him to draw you to purity in your relationship with Him.