Living on Sabbath Time: Day 8/31
- “Busyness rapes relationships. It substitutes shallow frenzy for deep friendships. It promises satisfying dreams but delivers hollow nightmares. It feeds the ego but starves the inner man. It fills a calendar or diary but fractures a family. It cultivates a program but plows under priorities.” _Charles Swindoll, Killing Giants, Pulling Thorns
Matthew 14:33 (NKJV) Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”
The background of this verse was the time that Peter walked on the water. Sometimes the impression can be given that Peter was a failure because he sank; but really the ones that failed were those that stayed in the boat and watched it all happen. They watched Peter walk on the water, they watched Peter sink and they watched Jesus save the day. Then they worshipped. That is how so many people are; they worship God for what He has done for others, not for what He has done for them. They’re too afraid to get out of their boat named “Familiar”.
I hope that will not happen to you concerning Sabbath month. Your busy, hectic life may be familiar but Jesus bids you to step out of the familiar and join him in a new place called “Sabbath.” Will you get it exactly right? I doubt it. That is not even the purpose; the purpose is taking a step of faith toward Jesus.
Remember, Sabbath is not about keeping a long list of rules and regulations. The goal of practicing Sabbath living is not to “get it right.” It is about delighting yourself in the provisions of God. You can rest because Jesus worked. You can rejoice and be glad because Jesus was despised and rejected. You can be free from the tyranny of the urgent because Jesus broke the curse sin for
eternity.
- Just barely out of the boat
Do something today about Sabbath, maybe like Peter it will be a tentative baby step full of uncertainty. That’s OK, just get out of the boat of familiarity and head toward Jesus. I’ve witnessed an example of this just this week. Sonja has been taking our granddaughter Trinitee swimming this week. I witnessed the first time she went; she was very timid and frighten on that first attempt. Now let’s run the story forward to last night. Once again I was able to witness Trinitee swimming. This time she was swimming like a fish; jumping in the pool, splashing, laughing, playing and having the time of her life. What a delight!
My dear friend, don’t be one of those timid folk that always end up praising God for what He has done for others; be one of those “others” that dared to get out of the boat.
Resting in Him,
dlkemp
