Resting in God on the Sabbath
Scripture Passage: Deuteronomy 5:11-15 (NASB)
11 ‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.
12 ‘Observe the sabbath day to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant or your ox or your donkey or any of your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you, so that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 15 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to observe the sabbath day.
SUMMARY
Moses talks about the Ten Commandments in Deuteronomy chapter 5. The Israelites shall not take the name of the Lord our God in vain (3rd commandment). They shall keep the Sabbath as a holy day, as the Lord has commanded them ( 4th commandment). Moses says the seventh day is a day of rest to honor the Lord and the people needed to rest on the Sabbath day.
MEDITATION & REFLECTION
Moses says that we have to keep the Sabbath day holy in verse 12. Even though I am currently not working, I have been really busy and have not been able to rest fully in God on the Sabbath day. I have been distracted by my school homework and wedding planning. God wants us to make Sunday (or one day in the week) a Sabbath day, a day where we rest from our labors and normal daily activities and dedicate our thoughts and time to Him. For me, Sunday is just as busy as the other days of the week. I have made my Sunday night a stressful homework night by procrastinating on my homework right before the due date. I want to plan my Sunday afternoon to be a time that is focused on God.
APPLICATION
First of all, I want to fast from social media and put my phone away on Sunday. I have been looking at a lot of wedding and engagement photos on Instagram lately, and comparing my intimate livestream wedding with other perfect in-person wedding ceremonies and receptions. I also have been feeling sad and envious because I want to have what others have. I want to focus on pleasing God rather than on what others think. Second, I want to read good Christian books on Sunday night with my family and rest in God’s love together. Lastly, I would love to start writing about what God has done in my life throughout the week in a journal and give THANKS to God.
PRAYER
I praise You for Your faithfulness in my life, as You brought the Israelites out of the land of Egypt. I repent of being envious of others and trying to seek affirmation from others rather than from You, Lord. Teach me how to rest in Your presence and observe the Sabbath day as You have commanded us. Help me to focus on glorifying Your name first for my wedding ceremony rather than my desires and worldly thoughts. Also, give me wisdom on how to plan my Sabbath day to be solely devoted to You.
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