On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns.
For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but He rested on the seventh day. (Google image, Girl resting in meadow)
Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy" (Exodus 20:8-11 (NIV)
In today’s rush-rush world, do you ever wonder if the Lord’s ideas about the Sabbath are still viable?
For half of my adult life I lived as if this 4th commandment was as antiquated as the parchment on which it was written. Pressured by the demands of the upcoming week, I would use part of 'my' Sabbath day to get a head start by food shopping, throwing in a load of clothes, finishing a house project, or working in the yard.
One day the Holy Spirit confronted me. He revealed to me that my misuse of the Sabbath was actually a sign of mistrust on my part. If I was honest, I had to agree with Him. My actions proved I wasn’t trusting God to empower me to get everything done in the upcoming week without me stealing part of His Sabbath day for my purposes.
After that albeit uncomfortable revelation, I decided to begin trusting God with my whole week, beginning with the newly honored Sabbath day--and guess what? Instead of becoming hopelessly behind in my tasks by the week’s end (as I had assumed), my other six days actually proved to be far more productive than normal.
Undergirded with a day of Sabbath rest, I found new creative energy and I warded off burn out and illness, even under the weight of a heavy schedule!
Today’s Scripture tells us that after God spent six days creating the world, He paused on the seventh day to rest. Did the Lord Almighty need to pause to put His feet up? I doubt that was the case.
Instead I believe the Lord was modeling a behavior He wanted us to follow. He purposed himself to pause on that day and consider the work He had completed--stating that what He had accomplished 'was good.' The Lord enjoyed reflecting on a job (or week) well done.
When was the last time you set aside a day to do just that?
You and I have been engineered with bodies that require adequate sleep, rest, and even recreation in order to function optimally and to feel well.
Setting the Sabbath apart from the busyness of the rest of the week breeds physical, mental, and emotional health by allowing us the opportunity to reflect, recreate, and recharge.
So if you are experiencing burn out, lacking creativity, or struggling with frequent illnesses, perhaps you’ve been leaving the gift of the Sabbath Day unopened as I did for far too many years.
Dear Lord of the Sabbath, forgive us for falling short of Your will and for disobeying Your command to honor the Sabbath day and to keep it holy. Please quicken our hearts to be Jesus followers in every way and on every day of the week. We exist to bring You praise. In Your precious and Holy Name we pray, Amen.
Lisa Morrone, PT June 16, 2017
lisa@lisamorrone.com
Prayer-
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| Praying leaders |
As the Holy Spirit confronted Lisa, no doubt He has also spoken to us a number of times to trust His direction to have a day of rest.
Actually, we show that we aren't trusting that God's advice is for us today, when we are determined to continue our usual activities on His Sabbath. Are we really stealing that day for our purposes?
Folks have found that to begin trusting God with their whole week, beginning with honoring the Sabbath day of rest, they actually accomplish more in six days than seven.
Let's discover that with a day of Sabbath rest, we can find new creative energy and ward off burn out and illness, even under the weight of our heavy schedules.
We pray for help and guidance in this very important truth shared with us today, and ask for it in Jesus' name. Amen.
Today's Bible verses-
Isaiah 40:30-31 (NASB) Even “though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”
Psalm 42:11 (AMPB), Habakkuk 3:19 (AMPC) “Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, Who is the help of my countenance, and my God. The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]!”
Today's special link-
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| Husband's talk with wife |
Chris Brown- "My wife, Holly, and I
soon. Thankfully, I know a little bit more about how to be a good husband than when we first walked down that maroon-carpeted aisle." (Many good articles covering many questions and problems)
Today's quote:
List of recent sermons of CFC ministers
CFC Potsdam church has a live service at 10 am Sunday's for shut-ins. If for some reason you can't make it to the church you usually attend, click on the above link, and still get fed!
Lisa Buffaloe: "God’s power is inexhaustible and as a Christian, we have God’s power through the power of Christ. When our bodies and spirits are weary, cast down, and barely hanging on, hope in God. He’s got you, He’s got you safe in His forever love. Hang onto God, and even when you can’t hang on, He will never let you fall, you are always safe in His loving hands."
List of recent sermons of CFC ministers
CFC Potsdam church has a live service at 10 am Sunday's for shut-ins. If for some reason you can't make it to the church you usually attend, click on the above link, and still get fed!
Upcoming posts-
#141 The Militant Use of the Word
12th- Tuesday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel
#142 The Militant Use of the Name (1-3)
14th- Thursday's post Dr. Wesley L. Duewel
All Eyes on the Sky
16th- Saturday's post by Ron Hutchcraft
#143 God's Word Arms with Faith for Prayer Warfare
19th- Tuesday's posts by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel
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IMPORTANT WORDS AND THOUGHTS.
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