The rain is coming down outside, and the light of day is giving way to another evening. However, it isn’t just another evening – its the eve of Shabbat. It is our weekly identification with His covenant, and His commandment to rest. To rest is a gift. Many of us do not know how to rest. Have you ever been on vacation and when you return home, you need a vacation from your vacation?
The world is flying by, millions of miles per hour with no thought of anything but self gratification. With the world, there is exists no rest. Without rest, there can be no refreshing. Without refreshing, the body, mind and spirit has no time to repair; no time to restore itself. If there is no refreshing, then what remains? A quickening of the deterioration of life which is a hastening of death.
Read Exodus 31 and Isaiah 58 this Shabbat, and find out what a precious gift it is to simply rest on the day He says to rest.
The blessings of Father for His children are not automatically showered down upon us just because we are His children. If we are His children, then we obey what He commands us. If we do not obey what He commands us, then it’s kind of hard to know where our identification lies. Yes, He disciplines those He loves. Yes, He has great compassion on our “ignorance” – However, He has no tolerance for outright rebellion against what He has called us to.
Spend some time this Shabbat finding out what His requirements for life are – not what our pea brains think is best for us. If the One who created the heavens and earth rested on the 7th day (Not Sunday), then why is it so hard for us to do the same? Maybe we have more stamina than the Almighty? Umm, yeah.. I’m sure THAT’s it.
Spend some time this Shabbat, finding out just how great He is and how much WE need Him. Talk to Him. Spend time with Him. He sits and waits for your every week about this time… Could there be anything more important than having a date with the One Who created you? If you think your spending all of eternity with Him, don’t you think it might be a good idea to get to know the One Whom you will spend it with now?
I think that is pretty reasonable….don’t you?
If you will excuse me, I have to run and check on my black beans…
Shabbat Shalom!