Daily Devotionals

Only the cohen hagadol enters the inner one; and he goes in only once a year (Hebrews 9:7).

Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) is the day when men stand before God, and the sins of God's people are forgiven. Unlike the other festivals of the Lord, the most important practice of Yom Kippur was performed in secret. No one saw the atonement that was made on the altar! The central event took place in secret behind the veil of the Holy of Holies, a place where only the Cohen HaGadol (High Priest) entered.

The Hebrew word for "holy" is kadosh. It literally means "set apart." As children of God, we need to have a secret place—a place set apart from our jobs, our dayto- day lives, and even from our congregation or ministry. Each of these has a place. But the problem is that we easily get lost in them. It's easy, even doing the things of God, to lose God himself! But the secret place is only big enough for us and God.

We need to put aside all those other things and make time to be alone with our beloved. If we dwell in the secret place, then everything else will be in its proper priority. The most holy secret of the most holy day is to come back to our first love and be filled to overflowing in the radiance of his presence, hidden away in our secret place.

...think of the fact that Yeshua gave his life for me—a priceless gift to make my life a priceless treasure. I won't waste it.

JC