Honoring the Sabbath

¹³ If you refrain from trampling the sabbath,
    from pursuing your own interests on my holy day;
if you call the sabbath a delight
    and the holy day of the Lord honorable;
if you honor it, not going your own ways,
    serving your own interests, or pursuing your own affairs;
¹⁴ then you shall take delight in the Lord,
    and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth;
I will feed you with the heritage of your ancestor Jacob,
 for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Isaiah 58:13-14

The Sabbath was created as a day of rest. God rested from all his work and made the Sabbath day hallowed. He created the Sabbath as a day of praise for himself. The Sabbath is a day away from the cares of daily life. And it is a time of refreshing in the presence of the Lord.

In postexilic Israel the people were not observing the Sabbath. They continue with their work and their daily living. The Sabbath was not a day of rest but a day to pursue their own interest rather than the interest of God. God set aside the Sabbath to worship and praise him, not to go our own ways. But Israel ignored the commandment to rest on the Sabbath. As a result Israel was not enjoying the blessing of the Lord. They complained that God was to weak and deaf to help them.

Do we ignore the Sabbath? Do we go our own way? Is it enough to go to church on Sunday morning, give God an hour or two of our time? Does he want more? Is playing golf and watching football the same as going our own way. What of shopping malls and running weekend errands on Sundays? When we enjoy ourselves by doing our own thing, we are not resting the way God intended.

It is not enough to lie down on the couch and rest from work. We must learn to take delight in the Sabbath and honor the Sabbath. For most of us this is Sunday not Saturday. But still, we must try to understand what it means to delight and honor God on Sunday. Perhaps a walk in the woods and praising God as you go for the beauty he created in this world. You might spend time with family, actively drawing close to each other in activities such as board games or touch football. Rather than shopping for more things, we could prepare a meal together and invite friends to our table.

It is not an easy change to let go of our own ways. But with God’s help we can discover the delight of the Sabbath. More than just a day consumed with selfish interest but a day to find new pleasures. The Sabbath can become a day to refresh us spiritually, mentally, and physically. A day set aside from all other days of the weak. A day to praise God in all we do.

Dear Lord, help me to find ways to delight in the Sabbath. Help me give up my own interest and honor you. Give me wisdom to give up my own ways and to make the Sabbath a holy day to you. 

That you may know

I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 2:18-19

What is the love of God? We talk about it but do we comprehend its breath, length, height and depth? It is easy to believe God loves us as we love him.  Sometimes we love him as a good father. Other times he seems to be a far off wondrous mystery. Something we can’t quite grasp in our feeble brains. It is easy to believe that God’s love for us is a reflection of our feelings. Days when thing are good we see God’s love as good. But on days when things are bad we see God as more distant.

On Sundays we speak of God’s love but what of the other days of the week. Do we forget after church that God still loves us? Going through our days of work, shopping, house cleaning, sporting events, and leisure can distract us from lessons learned on Sundays. Sometimes pressure of the week can drain the knowledge attained on Sunday out of us.

God showed his love for us when Christ suffered and died on the cross. This is one indisputable point where we know God loves us. A time when God called us back to himself, to be redeemed as his loved children. Surely this is what Paul spoke of in Ephesians, to know love that surpasses knowledge. The breadth, length, height and depth of God’s love were demonstrated when the King of the universe chose Calvary.

Yet as undeniable as the cross is, there are other ways to experience God’s love. In faith based prayer, one can feel the love of God when prayers are answered. Reading the bible one can experience the very breath of God as he speaks to us. The love of a parent for a child is a reflection of God’s love for us. Charitable acts can share the love of Christ with others.  

In this world we can experience God’s love for us and we can share the love of Christ with others. What of the next world? It is one thing to hear a loved one’s voice or to read a letter. But what happens when we stand face to face with the King of the universe in heaven. What emotions will we experience as love in heaven? We will probably discover the breadth, length, height, and width of love far surpass our earthly imagination. What we know this side of the grave is but a reflection of what we will experience on the other side.

Dear Lord, Let me know the breadth, length, depth, and width of your love. Let me share your love with others. May I become a reflection of your heavenly love for others. That through me others will have a desire to draw closer to you and your great love..

The God who sees us

If I take the wings of the morning
    and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
    and your right hand shall hold me fast.

Psalms 139:9-10

One of God’s names is El-Roi, the God who sees me. He was called this in the Old Testament by Haggar when God told her she would have a son. She said “Have I really seen God and remained alive after seeing Him?” She was amazed that God not only spoke to hear but she saw Him. We do not know if she saw Jesus, the Holy Spirit of Jehovah. But it affected her to the point that she gave Him a name and the spring where they met was named also.

It would be a life-changing event to met Jesus face-to-face. Certainly in the Bible people were always changed when they met God. In the New Testament thousands of people were changed when they heard Jesus speak. He not only feed the five thousand but he taught them. He captured their attention with his miracles and many became his followers.

It is wonderful to see Jesus but it is also significant to grasp that he sees us. As El-Roi means, he sees me. There is nowhere we can go to be out of his sight. Nothing we can do that goes unnoticed. As the Psalms says, even on the farthest limits of the sea there God is to lead us and hold us tight. He never lets go and never turns away. He watches us always.

It is a great comfort to have a God who is always there. No circumstances or trial are beyond his watchful eye. His hand is always stretched out to take hold of us. We are never beyond his grasp. Whatever comes in the difficult world, our God is there.

He sees us and he knows us. We have no secrets from him. Whatever we tell him he knew before. We cannot surprise him or shock him. All the details of our life are laid open before him. If there is anything we need to take before God, we can rest in the assurance that it is already before him. He only waits for us to speak. Sometimes he will bring it to our minds that we may speak to him.

God is loving, kind, and compassionate. He sees everything and still wants a relationship with us. We are never beyond his reach in deed or thought. We can rest in the peace that he knows us and still loves us.

Hope of His calling

with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.

Ephesians 1: 18-19

The eyes of our heart is our understanding. Paul wants the Ephesians’ understanding of God to have spiritual depth and spiritually insight that they may better know that God has called them to be in Christ. The hope that God has called us is to live with the peace and wisdom of Christ. To live beyond a normal existence and experience things this world cannot give. To be in Christ is to accept him as Lord over our lives and live according to his will.

How do we learn to live with the peace and wisdom of Christ? What is it that transforms us to experience a life different from others in this world? Although prayer and Bible study are important there are others things which God uses to enlighten our minds. Sometime painful experiences are the only way to get our attention. When we are busy with day to day problems we often forget God. In our comfortable lives God seems unnecessary. We put God on the back burner and busy ourselves with menial task. We comfort ourselves with loved ones, shopping sprees, or entertainment. There is so much in this world to draw our attention we fail to notice how we replace God with people and things.

Suffering is a powerful focusing agent. If a loved one is ill or we lose the ability to pay our bills the associated pain quickly prioritizes out thinking. Where we once drifted from one amusement to another, pain will cause us to drop every insignificant thing and bring all our attention to bear on the pain. We quickly turn to the Bible for a word of hope or to prayer for peace.

Suffering produces endurance as we learn to carry more for a longer period of time. Endurance produces character when we have learned to endure we become people with a better reputation. We stop acting as children and display the character of maturity. This new found character produces hope of Christ in our lives. And the richness of God’s salvation from a life of sin to the inheritance of the saints produces peace.

Dear Lord, fill me with hope to know your calling. Let me learn from the things you bring into my life. Give to me all I can bear so that I may develop endurance, character and hope. Let me always remember the glorious richness you have given me and the immeasurable greatness of your power.

Seeking Peace

Turn from evil and do good;

Seek peace and pursue it.

Psalms 34:14

Turning from evil seems simple enough. We can avoid committing crimes and becoming violent.  But what else might be evil?  Jesus said that is we harbor angers towards our brother we are liable of judgment. If we insult our brother or sister we are liable of the council. Could anger and harsh words be considered evil? Is turning away from God to glorifying in our fleshly desires a form of evil? Even lust is considered adultery of the heart. Surely the sins of our hearts and desires are evil in God’s eye. We must turn away from the evil in our hearts and do good. We must become a blessing to others. It is not enough to give up anger towards someone we must learn to wish them well. Pray for their wellbeing and bless them when we can.

To turn away from evil and do good we must consistently chose to seek help from God. Through pray and consistent effort we can tame our flesh and crucify out hearts. But good behavior alone is not enough. We are commanded to seek peace. Seeking a unity of spirit with God where we walk in His peace. Pursuing peace is active. It is not laying back waiting for God to hand us peace. It is a diligent effort to bring peace into our lives.  As Paul wrote we must think about what is true, commendable, pure, praiseworthy, and excellent. We must choose to guard our minds and focus on the things pleasing to God.

The life of choosing to focus our thoughts is a life of discipleship. A life that includes turning our mind over to God regularly. Allowing Him to bring to our attention the thoughts and desires which displease Him. As we explore our thoughts and look for ways to refocus surely God will direct us towards things praiseworthy and excellent. We might need to turn off the TV more often. Put down the paper. Stop searching the internet. Spend more time reading the bible, praying, and praising God. im.HH

As we let God refocus our minds we will learn to live at peace with our brothers and sisters. We will give up angry emotions, fear, and harsh words. Our hearts will be consumed with the peace of God. We will be able to share that peace with others.  To truly pursue peace we must pursue God. Only He can give us lasting peace. God has not promised us understanding of all that happens in this world. He has promised us peace which defies understanding.

Dear Lord, fill me with the peace of your spirit. Cleanse my mind that I will be pleasing to you. Help me to turn from evil and pursue peace in all that I do. Direct me towards things which are pariseworthy, excellent, pure, true, and commendable. Let me become a source of peace for those around me.

I want to party with Jesus

The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say,

‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard,

a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’

Matthew 11v19

I don’t want to be a glutton or a drunkard.  I want to live my life so that I am accused of being a drunkard and a glutton while doing the will of God.  What was Jesus doing that he was accused of being a drunkard? Did he attend parties and enjoying himself? Was he so full of the Spirit that people thought he was drunk? Did he live his life with so much joy that people talked? Did he sing psalms with abandon?

The Bible says Jesus was a man of sorrows. But why would he be accused of gluttony and drunkenness? Perhaps it was merely an accusation to insult him. Though he did eat and drink it is doubtful that it was in excess. More likely his mercy and compassion were his excesses.  

This was early in his ministry before he fed the 5000 or the 4000. It was a time after he expanded on the Beatitudes and gave many parables on living in the kingdom. He proclaimed God’s love in a way few understood. Yet thousand would follow him to hear his strange message of love and healing.

How do I live my life to be accused as Jesus. Surely it was painful to be rejected and accused. It is not something to seek. Rather seek after the mercy and compassion which Jesus exemplified. Seek after feeding the poor, healing the sick, and clothing the naked. Always remember my reward is in heaven not here on earth.

Jesus was friends with tax collectors. But there are no tax collectors in my society. There are people outside the church. People judge harshly by society. People rejected by Christians as unclean in the modern world. Drug addicts, drunks, homosexuals, prison inmates, and the homeless. Aren’t these people the lepers of today’s church. How do I befriend them in Christian love. Show them the love of God to a point that they find God irresistible.

I will need to go outside my usual church contacts. I would need to talk to the unchurched. Visit homeless shelters, prisons, drug recovery centers. Go on mission trips in other cities or other countries. Look for the places lacking God’s love and go there to share what I know. It is risky business sharing the love of God with the unchurched. Perhaps that is why Jesus was rejected and accused by the religious people of his day. He dared to share God’s love with the outcast rather than focusing only on the religious.

Dear Lord let me understand how to dance the way Jesus dances, to befriend people the way Jesus befriends people.  Let me befriend the unchurched. Fill my soul with love for those you love. Let me feed the hungry, heal the sick, and clothed the naked. 

Under His Wings

He will cover you with His pinions,
And under His wings you may seek refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.

Psalms 91:4

I take great pleasure in knowing God wants to protect me. As a hen calls her chicks to herself and spreads her wings to cover them so God would protect me. When there is trouble to great for me to confront, such as a hawk in the sky, God will call me.  He watches the skies for danger while I play in the yard and he calls me when danger comes to close. It is comforting to know God is always watching around me and He sees things I do not understand.

He is also a shield which stands in front of me. He is faithful to stand between me and my enemies, whatever they may be. He was there when the car wreck almost happened.  He is watching in the storm. The time I slipped but didn’t fall down the steps, he was there. There is no way of knowing how many things did not happen in my life because God was there.

A bulwark is a fortified wall or defensive rampart. It is something very strong used to protect from enemies. God is the strongest being in the universe, stronger than a fort or an army. He is stronger than the sun or the stars in the sky. The universe is God’s handiwork. Nothing is stronger than Him. Anything which frightens me is weak compared to my God.  

The world is a dangerous place these days.  There is much to worry and fret over; war, terrorist, mass murders. But God is stronger than all of it and all of them. There is no situation that God cannot control. From the smallest inconvenience to the biggest threat, God is there. Sometimes watching the news it seems God is far away or has forgotten us. But the bible tells me He is here with me watching over me. If I call to him when the day is dark, he is there. Reach for him and trust Him more than the thing around me. He will always be here, with me.

Dear Lord, lead me and guide all the days of my life. Teach me to lean on you no matter what is happening. Be my strength, my shield, my bulwark.

To be given much

From everyone who has been given much,

much will be demanded;

and from the one who has been entrusted with much,

much more will be asked.

Luke 12:48

I live where much is given.  Our closets overflow and our garages

are full. We have  so much that storage rooms are rented to hold 

the abundance. Yet it never seems to be enough.  There is always 

an advertisement for one more wonderful thing that will bring 

happiness. It is easy to fall prey to a never ending quest for 

happiness through possessions.

Yet how often do we stop desiring more to consider what is expected of us for what we own. The Bible tells us much will be demanded from those who are given much.  What is it that will be demanded?  The Biblical command to “feed the poor, clothe the naked, and heal the sick”, suggest a beginning.  Certainly an abundance of possessions can be donated to feed the poor, and clothe the naked, or sold for medicine to heal the sick. There are many charities seeking donation from our abundance.

But what of non-material possessions which are given to us.  Intelligence, love, opportunity, and time are all things we possess. These are given to us as well as material possessions. What will be asked of us when we have an abundance of love in our life? Should we find ways to share our love with those who have little?  Offering friendship to those who seem friendless is one way to share your love. Sharing a meal with a lonely person is a way to share love and time. Taking time to work at a soup kitchen or visit a nursing home is another way to share.

For those with an abundance of intelligent or skilled training, working behind a desk of a non-profit organization is a way of sharing your gifts.  Teaching bible study or Sunday school is another way of sharing. Teaches can change the life of students. Office workers can smooth the path of volunteers.  Girl Scout and Boy Scout leaders share love, time, and skills while influencing young minds. The list of ways to share non-material possessions is as long as a list of local volunteers.

If we share material possessions with the poor, naked, and sick we follow Jesus’ commandment.  If we volunteer our time, love, intelligence, and skills to help others we are giving much of what we have.  But the most important gift we are given is our relationship with Christ.

The Christian walk with Jesus is the greatest gift we have received. It is ours to possess. What will be expected from us when we accept this gift? Our very lives are given in response to the love of Christ. More than our lives we are to love God with our whole heart, mind, and soul. And if we love God we are to obey his commandments. Much is expected from us indeed.

Dear Lord, Thank you for giving me so much to possess.  Thank you for the material things and help me to share these with others. Thank you for the time, opportunity, intelligence, and love in my life. Help me to share these gifts with others. Most of all, thank you for letting me walk through this world with you at my side.  Thank you for your sacrificial love, eternal patience, and guiding hand.