We come to chapter 11 with the dietary laws for the Israelites. God through Moses goes step by step from land animals to fish to insects, and with amazing specificity explains which ones they are allowed to eat and which ones they are not permitted to eat. Some will look at this list and consider it unfair that certain foods are not included in the list, such as pork and shrimp. God could have made us like the animals in the field and our diet could have consisted of grass, hay, etc. But in His loving kindness, He has allowed us nearly everything in His creation for us to eat. For Gentiles (non-Jewish people), there are essentially no limitations, but even for the Jewish people, the restrictions are not many. These are not arbitrary restrictions from God, but in reality, He knows better. He protected His people from many diseases which they were too ignorant to understand existed. It was this loving hand and oversight which preserved His people throughout their existence. Even during the 14th century when the Bubonic plague struck Europe and 1 in 4 Europeans died from this disease, the Jewish community was largely spared due to their dietary restrictions and practices of handwashing and handling the dead. May we never forget what is said in Leviticus 11:44-45, "For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth. For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy."

We deserve nothing, but in His grace and mercy, He continues to provide us with one gift after another. It is time that we consider this with a heart full of gratitude. He is holy and has provided each of us with so much, including the very breath in our lungs. Rather than stomping around like that little disappointed kid on Christmas morning, we should be the most joyful, effervescent people in the world knowing that we have what we have because we have a God who lovingly has chosen to give us these things. As was just said, He is holy, so we should likewise be holy. To be holy, means to be set apart for His use. We should not seek to join the godless flock and assimilate into this godless culture that we find ourselves in. We should realize that each day is a gift that we don't deserve and as His holy ones, should be approached in a spirit of thanksgiving and purpose seeking how we can bring glory to His great name. Thank you Father, for all that you have lovingly provided each and every one of us, whether we realize it or not.