Living on Sabbath Time: Day 13/31

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Mid-week Devotional 

     In our last lesson, we were reminded that the seventh-day-Sabbath is a part of the fabric of life on earth.  God designed the world so that we could rest.  Sabbath is a reminder that we are not God.  We are not an unlimited resource.  We can’t go and go and go forever.  We must stop; we must rest…that is how God made life to be. 

     Only we humans resist this.  Have you ever seen or heard of a hard-working bear out there in the dead of winter wearily
pressing on through the hibernation season because he wanted to get a leg up on the competition so that he could be a success?  Of course not, only stupid humans would do something like that.

     Think about fish, they can’t even shut their eyes, but if you’ve ever owned an aquarium you know that when the lights go out the fish don’t press on through drinking a couple “Red Bulls” burning the midnight oil so they can finish that work they took
home with them from the office.  No!  They settle down near the bottom and rest.  Only we stubborn humans ignore God’s rules of engagement and push ourselves beyond how God intended us to live. 

     I’ve never heard of a book on squirrel “burnout” or eagle “emotional breakdowns”.  Rabbits don’t need depression medicine and deer don’t need counseling.  No, only we rebellious and stubborn humans try to ignore God’s command to rest and push on
through the weariness until we reach the point of exhaustion and injury.  When will we learn?  When will we learn to live Sabbath lives again?  It is my prayer that today’s devotional study will take us a little further down the path of true Sabbath living. 

     Resting in Him, dlkemp

 SCRIPTURE: Romans 9:30-32

Today’s bible verses do not deal specifically with the Sabbath but it teaches an important Sabbath principle.  Romans 9
deals with Paul’s sadness with how the Jews who had “the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple service, and the promises” (9:4) missed what God was really trying to do in their lives.

  • The good news/bad news in all this is that we humans have a choice.  We can break the Sabbath; bears, fish and
    eagles can’t.  This is another example of how we are made in the image of God.
  • However, there is more bad news.  We can keep the Sabbath and still miss what God wants to do in our lives.  That is what happened to the Jews (9:32).  Do you know that you can actually turn Sabbath into work?  That’s right; you can work so hard getting the Sabbath “right” that you defeat the very purpose of the Sabbath.
  • Let me remind you, Sabbath is not about earning God’s favor or getting extra credit on your pursuit of heavenly crowns.
    Sabbath is God’s gift to you so that you can experience rest, find delight, and be free from the slavery of always having to do more so that you can get more so that you can be more.

 

  • QUESTION: Honestly, how are you doing at obeying the Fourth Commandment?  You do have a choice and your choice reveals your willingness to be obedient to God or your desire to be in control.

 

  • QUESTION: What is your motivation for observing the Sabbath?  Is it about working to get it right or are you with childlike simplicity simply learning as you go.

 

  • QUESTION: What specifically are you doing differently this month about Sabbath that you were not doing before we started July’s Sabbath month?  Do you think God is pleased with your efforts?  Are you?

 


By ourCOG