Sabbath rest – Be Still…

Hebrews 4:1-16 – Promised Rest

If you’re the parent of young children, you know the word “rest” sounds like a distant memory. It’s fleeting for you, and you wonder if you’ll ever be able to rest again. If it’s not burning the candle at both ends to get it all done each day, it’s lying awake at night worrying about something. But that rest is only a glimpse of the rest our author describes, the rest God promises and hopes for us.

Have you made an intentional attempt at resting each week? God set the prime example for us when he created the world and then rested. God knew we would benefit so much from rest. More importantly, God wanted us to stay close to Him, and this gift of rest is meant to keep us connected to our Creator. Our author has some startling things to say about our resting. Continue reading “Hebrews 4:1-16 – Promised Rest”

John 6:1-24 – Time to Slip Away

Read John 6:1-24

What a miracle! Jesus multiplied the fish and barley loaves so that everyone was fed, with leftovers galore. The sheer number of people who experienced that miraculous feeding boggles the mind. This time, since the crowd recognized Jesus as the “prophet” they had been waiting for, Jesus had to slip away to avoid being crowned king. That was not his earthly mission.

Yes, Jesus is our King of kings, but his kingdom is not of this world. The people seeking him and following after him in those days had no idea about Jesus true mission as their Messiah. All the healings and signs and wonders had created the atmosphere of excitement and anticipation of being rescued from the oppressive Roman government ruling their land. That had to be so front of mind for them. Continue reading “John 6:1-24 – Time to Slip Away”

Leviticus 19:1-37 – What Holiness Looks Like

Read Leviticus 19:1-37

What a list! On the whole, these instructions seem wise and beneficial to maintaining a right relationship with God. Just because Jesus came, I don’t think we should overlook God’s desire for his people to be holy. For he says, “You must be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.” In the New Testament, 1 Peter 1:15-16 reaffirms this command.

Several times, we read this exclamation, “I AM the LORD your God.” As if God’s message needed emphasis or the people needed to be reminded who was speaking. If God speaks, we certainly want to be listening. Even if the original audience of these words isn’t us directly, we can and should open our ears and our minds to reflect on God’s message. Continue reading “Leviticus 19:1-37 – What Holiness Looks Like”

Ezekiel 46:1-24 – Let’s Talk About Worship

Read Ezekiel 46:1-24

So much detail is given by Ezekiel about this temple including its size, construction, purpose, and the people who would be tasked in particular ways. And yet, this temple has not yet been built. We can’t help but ask, “why did God give Ezekiel this vision, and will it ever be constructed?”

Perhaps that isn’t the point. Perhaps God gave Ezekiel this vision to be more of a grounding force to help the people in exile start their lives anew when the time of restoration began. Please know I am only speculating because I certainly don’t have any answers. I’m as perplexed as most people trying to make sense of these chapters. Continue reading “Ezekiel 46:1-24 – Let’s Talk About Worship”

Jeremiah 17:19-27 – Keep the Sabbath Holy

Read Jeremiah 17:19-27

stone tablets with Exodus 20:8 quoted to Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Keeping the sabbath holy is an act of obedience, and obedience leads to life. God wants to be the center of our world and setting aside this one day for him is not too much to ask. Is it? You can read in Exodus 31:12-17 where God gave Moses instructions about the Sabbath.

As I was reflecting on today’s reading in Jeremiah, it struck me that the idea of honoring the Sabbath would be so foreign to God’s disobedient children. It doesn’t seem very likely many were keeping the Sabbath at all. Yet, this is God’s message, and it speaks as a reminder of his hopes for his people.