"Keep Christmas in your own way, and let me keep it in mine.''
"Keep it!'' repeated Scrooge's nephew. "But you don't keep it.''
"Let me leave it alone, then,'' said Scrooge.
- A Christmas Carol , by Charles Dickens
"keep Sabbath in your own way, and let me keep it in mine."
"Remember the sabbath day (the rest-day), to keep it holy...
you shall not do any work...
For... the LORD... rested on the seventh day:
therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day
and made it holy." Exodus 20:8-11
There is a blessed Sabbath, a holy rest-day, every week.
I we don't keep it, and no wonder we're tired.
God was trying to bless them. He said He would multiply their efforts and make sure they had "enough", but they would not trust Him, translation: they did not believe Him. Still, He gave them another Sabbath (verse 28-30), another opportunity to trust Him, and the Lord gives us another opportunity to sabbath every week, too.
Yesterday was your "seventh" prayer day.
Today (Saturday, December 8, 2012) is the Jewish Sabbath.
Tomorrow, Sunday, is the day the Church worships to remember the Lord's ressurection.
Many pastors who preach on Sunday observe their "rest" on Monday.
When will you Sabbath?
If the thought of a "Sabbath-day" sounds like a burden that will set you behind, or like an impossible splurge that you can't afford, recognize that as a lie from the enemy. He wants to keep you from the blessing of knowing the rest of God.
Don't let the idea of "rest" make you feel guilty or defeated. If you have over-booked yourself so that a day of rest is not possible, make it your goal to start observing Rest-Days in the new year and make the necessary changes of dropping a few things from your schedule that God is not asking you to do.
What should you do on a day of rest?
Here is one suggestion: Ponder what the Lord has said and done.
Read Luke 2:18-20.
Write verse 19 in your journal.
The shepherds come and go, and Mary is left to process the day's events and all that she has been told. She treasures and ponders...
Ask the Lord for wisdom on how to begin observing Sabbath and choose to ponder the truths of scripture and what God has done in your life.
One last idea to "ponder":
Luke 1:56 says Mary went to Judah to visit Elizabeth for "about 3 months". Sounds a little bit like a Sabbatical. Is the Lord calling you to come away with Him or to step away from something for a season? He might use that to prepare yo for your greatest ministry.
PRAYER CHALLENGE:
Today, let's combine the instructions from last nights EVENING MEDITATION and the PRAYER CHALLENGE from Day 6:
Lightening your burden today by only carry around the rocks representing the concerns that you are not willing or able to entrust to the Lord. When you get tired of toting rocks, or tired of those concerns pressing on your mind, choose to set them down and obey this command: "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7
EVENING MEDITATION:
Read Luke 1:46-55 This is a woman who knows and remembers what the Lord has done!
There are a few Christmas songs, that make Mary sound a little overwhelmed, which would be easy to understand given her situation, but scripture doesn't give us any hint of that. The only person we read about who struggled with the news was Joseph, but once the angle spoke to him, he was all in! (see Matthew 1:18-25)
Don't discount the overwhelming peace and confidence that comes from a clear calling and knowing that you are in the center of God's will. If you do not sense His power in your life, I urge you to come away and seek Him. Once He speaks to you, follow that instruction, despite how you feel, until He gives you new orders.
I Need a Silent Night - Amy Grant
Captivate Us - Watermark
"Keep it!'' repeated Scrooge's nephew. "But you don't keep it.''
"Let me leave it alone, then,'' said Scrooge.
- A Christmas Carol , by Charles Dickens
- What did you do (or not do) yesterday to "rest"?
- write your answer in your journal
"keep Sabbath in your own way, and let me keep it in mine."
"Keep it!" repeated the Lord. "But, you don't keep it."
"Let me leave it alone, then,"...
- Is this what your actions say?
"Remember the sabbath day (the rest-day), to keep it holy...
you shall not do any work...
For... the LORD... rested on the seventh day:
therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day
and made it holy." Exodus 20:8-11
There is a blessed Sabbath, a holy rest-day, every week.
I we don't keep it, and no wonder we're tired.
- Read Exodus 16:4-5
- notice the phrase, "that I will test them, whether or not they will walk in My instrustion"
- What was the test?
- Now read Exodus 16:14-21
- Did they pass or fail this test?
- What was the result of their extra effort to get more or to get ahead?
- Read Exodus 16:22-27
- What was the instructions for the Sabbath?
- What happened when the Sabbath came around? (see verse 27)
- Did they pass or fail this test?
God was trying to bless them. He said He would multiply their efforts and make sure they had "enough", but they would not trust Him, translation: they did not believe Him. Still, He gave them another Sabbath (verse 28-30), another opportunity to trust Him, and the Lord gives us another opportunity to sabbath every week, too.
Yesterday was your "seventh" prayer day.
Today (Saturday, December 8, 2012) is the Jewish Sabbath.
Tomorrow, Sunday, is the day the Church worships to remember the Lord's ressurection.
Many pastors who preach on Sunday observe their "rest" on Monday.
When will you Sabbath?
If the thought of a "Sabbath-day" sounds like a burden that will set you behind, or like an impossible splurge that you can't afford, recognize that as a lie from the enemy. He wants to keep you from the blessing of knowing the rest of God.
Don't let the idea of "rest" make you feel guilty or defeated. If you have over-booked yourself so that a day of rest is not possible, make it your goal to start observing Rest-Days in the new year and make the necessary changes of dropping a few things from your schedule that God is not asking you to do.
What should you do on a day of rest?
Here is one suggestion: Ponder what the Lord has said and done.
Read Luke 2:18-20.
Write verse 19 in your journal.
The shepherds come and go, and Mary is left to process the day's events and all that she has been told. She treasures and ponders...
- "treasured" - observed, kept close, preserved, guarded
- "pondered" - has the idea of bringing something to mind and confering or deliberating it over with herself, thinking it through again, to turn it around in her mind to consider, meditate on
+ What are the "these things" that she treasures and pondered?
(see verse 18; see the context: Luke 2:8-17 )
+ What does Mary ponder in Luke 1:29?
(see the context: Luke 1:26-28)
+ What does see treasure in Luke 2:51?
(see the context: Luke 2:41-50)
You are treasuring and pondering something:
your "to do" list, goals for next year,
the opinions of others,
insecure thoughts of comparison,
worries, fears,
bitter or jealousy thoughts...
Ask the Lord for wisdom on how to begin observing Sabbath and choose to ponder the truths of scripture and what God has done in your life.
One last idea to "ponder":
Luke 1:56 says Mary went to Judah to visit Elizabeth for "about 3 months". Sounds a little bit like a Sabbatical. Is the Lord calling you to come away with Him or to step away from something for a season? He might use that to prepare yo for your greatest ministry.
Today, let's combine the instructions from last nights EVENING MEDITATION and the PRAYER CHALLENGE from Day 6:
Lightening your burden today by only carry around the rocks representing the concerns that you are not willing or able to entrust to the Lord. When you get tired of toting rocks, or tired of those concerns pressing on your mind, choose to set them down and obey this command: "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7
- seek God (setting aside time in a quiet place)
- remember who He is and call on Him by name
- ask specific requests (pray, not just think or worry)
- give thanks for what He has done and is doing
- confess sins, choose to listen, and obey His leading
EVENING MEDITATION:
Read Luke 1:46-55 This is a woman who knows and remembers what the Lord has done!
There are a few Christmas songs, that make Mary sound a little overwhelmed, which would be easy to understand given her situation, but scripture doesn't give us any hint of that. The only person we read about who struggled with the news was Joseph, but once the angle spoke to him, he was all in! (see Matthew 1:18-25)
Don't discount the overwhelming peace and confidence that comes from a clear calling and knowing that you are in the center of God's will. If you do not sense His power in your life, I urge you to come away and seek Him. Once He speaks to you, follow that instruction, despite how you feel, until He gives you new orders.
I Need a Silent Night - Amy Grant
Captivate Us - Watermark
