10 February | Teens
«And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him. And they shall attend to his needs and the needs of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of meeting, to do the work of the tabernacle.» Numbers 3:5-7
In God’s great plan for His people, He chose a specific family, the Levites, to take care of a very special task. The Levites were from the tribe of Levi, one of the twelve tribes of Israel, but they did not get a land of inheritance like the other tribes. Rather, their task was to care for the Tabernacle, the holy place where God’s people worshipped and met with Him. Later, when the Temple was built in Jerusalem, they also took care of it.
God’s choice of the Levites was not random. It symbolized the importance of dedicating a portion of our lives to God’s service and worship. Just as the Levites cared for the Tabernacle, and later the Temple, we are called to care for our relationship with God and help others do the same.
God gave the Levites the responsibility to sing during services, to take care of the sacrifices, and to teach God’s laws to the people. This teaches us that serving God can take many different forms, from singing in a choir to teaching and helping others. Each of us has a God-given “special task,” something we can do to help our faith community grow and prosper. Do you already know what your special gift or ability is to contribute to your community or church?
Take Action
Ask an adult to help you search online for a spiritual gifts test. This can help you discover what your special task is in God’s plan, just as the Levites had theirs.