Numbers 1–10: Counted by name, placed around His presence, and never overlooked

Do you ever feel like just one more face in the crowd at church, serving quietly while wondering if anyone notices? So many faithful Christians carry a hidden fear of being overlooked, and the book of Numbers opens with surprisingly good news hiding inside a list of names.

In this episode, we discover why God counted every Israelite by name, one by one, before they took a single step into the wilderness, and how He gave every tribe a place around His presence. We meet the tent-peg crew, explore Eleazar's care for the oil, the fragrant incense, and the anointing oil, and see why God wrote out twelve identical offerings in full rather than skimming a single one.

Then we explore the beautiful Hebrew word pāqad, "to count, visit, and care for," and discover how it points to Jesus, the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls. Finally, we hear the blessing God spoke before the journey began: "The LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace." Your name is written down. Your place is around His presence. And His face is turned toward you.

In this episode:

0:00 Feeling invisible in a crowd
1:28 Spiritual disciplines and essential oils
1:59 Free Zoom class and review request
2:50 A census full of names
4:14 Camped around the tabernacle
5:05 Levites assigned sacred work
6:30 Hebrew word study: pāqad, "seen and cared for"
8:48 Identical offerings recorded in full
10:10 The Lord bless you and keep you
11:13 Second Passover and following the cloud
12:11 You are not overlooked
13:15 Printable study and final encouragement
14:04 Closing thoughts and next steps

Go deeper: Grab the companion printable Bible study and step-by-step leader's guide at PaulaBehrens.com/store in the "Printable Resources" section.

Read the companion blog post: Belonging Isn't Something You Have to Perform For at PaulaBehrens.com/blog

Join me live: Find dates and register for my free Zoom class, Anointing Oils of Scripture, at PaulaBehrens.com/events

Step out of hiding: If you've been hiding your light, join my live group Aroma Freedom session, Out from Under the Basket: Letting Your Light Be Seen, on Zoom, Tuesday, February 16, 2027, at 6 PM CT. Your $27 seat includes the 7-day replay. Reserve your spot at PaulaBehrens.com/letting-your-light-be-seen

If this episode encouraged you, subscribe so you don't miss what's next, share it with a friend who needs to hear that she is not overlooked, and leave a review to help others find the show.

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YOUR NEXT STEP:

*Accept Jesus into your heart*

Also available:

Aroma of Christ Coaching Hour: PaulaBehrens.com/coaching1

The Story of Oils in Scripture | Class: PaulaBehrens.com/oils-in-scripture

Healing Oils of the Bible | Course: PaulaBehrens.com/healing-oils

Weekly Biblical Encouragement Tips: PaulaBehrens.com/insider-list

Free Revelation (Part 1) printable study: PaulaBehrens.com/free-revelation-1

Bold Faith Bundle for new Christians | Printables: PaulaBehrens.com/bold-faith

In the Word — 24 free messages: PaulaBehrens.com/in-the-word

Free 15-Minute Discovery Consult: PaulaBehrens.com/#discoverycall

Faith Membership Club | Through-the-Bible: PaulaBehrens.com/bible

The Store: PaulaBehrens.com/store

Leviticus 18–27: Jubilee, redemption, and a worth no debt can define

What would change if your worth wasn’t measured by your bank balance, your paycheck, or how much you got done today? So many faithful Christians quietly carry a price tag on their hearts, and Leviticus has surprisingly good news for anyone who feels like a number.

In this final episode of our Leviticus series, we discover how holiness reaches all the way into our wallets and workplaces, why God put rest first on His calendar, and how the oil for the lamp and the frankincense beside the bread of the Presence remind us that every one of God’s people has a place at His table.

Then we celebrate the Year of Jubilee, when every debt lost its grip, and explore the beautiful Hebrew word ga’al, “to redeem.” Jesus is our Kinsman-Redeemer, who bought us back not with silver or gold but with His own precious blood. Your debts may be real, but they don’t define you. You can walk with your head held high.

In this episode:

0:00 When worth becomes a number
1:24 Prayer, peace, and a reset
2:48 Holiness meets money and work
4:11 Holiness at the workbench and the marketplace
5:28 Sabbath rest and level ground
7:27 Oil for the lamp, frankincense for the bread
8:24 Jubilee freedom and the Redeemer
9:13 Hebrew word study: ga’al, “redeem”
11:14 Walking with your head held high
12:11 A sticky note reminder
13:35 Printable study and final encouragement
14:18 Closing thoughts and next steps

Go deeper: Grab the companion printable Bible study and step-by-step leader’s guide at PaulaBehrens.com/store in the “Printable Resources” section.

Read the companion blog post: What a 3,000-Year-Old Law Says About Your Relationship with Money at PaulaBehrens.com/blog

Join me live: Find dates and register for my free Zoom classes, Prayer, Peace, and Your Nervous System and Anointing Oils of Scripture, at PaulaBehrens.com/events

If this episode encouraged you, subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next, share it with a friend who needs to hear that her worth isn’t a number, and leave a review to help others find the show.

Send us Fan Mail

><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>

YOUR NEXT STEP:

*Accept Jesus into your heart*

Also available:

Aroma of Christ Coaching Hour: PaulaBehrens.com/coaching1

The Story of Oils in Scripture | Class: PaulaBehrens.com/oils-in-scripture

Healing Oils of the Bible | Course: PaulaBehrens.com/healing-oils

Weekly Biblical Encouragement Tips: PaulaBehrens.com/insider-list

Free Revelation (Part 1) printable study: PaulaBehrens.com/free-revelation-1

Bold Faith Bundle for new Christians | Printables: PaulaBehrens.com/bold-faith

In the Word — 24 free messages: PaulaBehrens.com/in-the-word

Free 15-Minute Discovery Consult: PaulaBehrens.com/#discoverycall

Faith Membership Club | Through-the-Bible: PaulaBehrens.com/bible

The Store: PaulaBehrens.com/store

Leviticus 11–17: Guilt, release, and the God who carries our burdens away

You’ve confessed something to God, meant it with your whole heart, and still woken up the next morning feeling heavy. We know we’re forgiven, but our bodies and emotions keep replaying the weight. In this episode, I walk through Leviticus 11–17 and show why these “easy to skip” chapters hold a powerful, tender picture of what God does with guilt, shame, and the burdens we’ve learned to manage instead of release.

We talk about the difference between being unclean and being sinful, why God’s nearness is central to these laws, and why uncleanness was never meant to be permanent. Then we slow down over one of the most hope-filled scenes in Leviticus: the priest going outside the camp to meet the one who has been separated, the released bird as a living sign of restoration, and the stunning truth that God doesn’t just let someone return. He marks them as His own.

At the heart is the Day of Atonement and the origin of the scapegoat, where sin is named out loud and then carried away to a place no one goes looking for again. We trace the Hebrew word taher (“clean”) and its Greek partner katharizō all the way to Jesus’ own words: “I am willing. Be clean.” Finally, we bring it home with a simple, practical step for this week to help your heart and nervous system settle into what Christ has already done.

In this episode:
0:00 When forgiven still feels heavy
0:49 Peaceful prayer and nervous system reset
3:19 The burdens we learn to manage
4:35 Clean and unclean is not sin
6:26 Healing outside the camp
8:35 The Day of Atonement story
11:00 From taher to Jesus making clean
12:40 Blood atonement as God’s gift
13:44 How freedom lands in real life
15:07 A simple practice for this week
16:07 Printable study resource and closing

Go deeper: Grab the companion printable Bible study and step-by-step leader’s guide at PaulaBehrens.com/store in the “Printable Resources” section.

Read the companion blog post: The Difference Between Coping and Actually Being Free

Join me live: Find dates and register for my free Zoom classes, Prayer, Peace, and Your Nervous System and Anointing Oils of Scripture, at PaulaBehrens.com/events

If this episode encouraged you, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s carrying quiet shame, and leave a review so more people can find biblical encouragement and real freedom.

Send us Fan Mail

><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>

YOUR NEXT STEP:

*Accept Jesus into your heart*

Also available:

Aroma of Christ Coaching Hour: PaulaBehrens.com/coaching1

The Story of Oils in Scripture | Class: PaulaBehrens.com/oils-in-scripture

Healing Oils of the Bible | Course: PaulaBehrens.com/healing-oils

Weekly Biblical Encouragement Tips: PaulaBehrens.com/insider-list

Free Revelation (Part 1) printable study: PaulaBehrens.com/free-revelation-1

Bold Faith Bundle for new Christians | Printables: PaulaBehrens.com/bold-faith

In the Word — 24 free messages: PaulaBehrens.com/in-the-word

Free 15-Minute Discovery Consult: PaulaBehrens.com/#discoverycall

Faith Membership Club | Through-the-Bible: PaulaBehrens.com/bible

The Store: PaulaBehrens.com/store