I’m writing to let you know about a few exciting launches on the horizon. It’s been a while! While those who follow on social media have an idea of why I’ve been inactive and what’s coming, I realized that some only follow here through the blog itself.
So, what’s coming?
Starting this Sunday, I’m publishing a DAILY teaching series on the Prodigal Son. Its an adaptation from a sermon series I delivered this summer at my home church, and I’m so excited to bring it to you in the bite-size tidbits that are so customary for Living Simply with God! That series will fun for 3 weeks and has an accompanying playlist which celebrates our good Father who chases after us and welcomes us home.
Advent begins on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, and there will be another DAILY series launching at that time which will run through Christmas Day. This is another labor of love, brought to you by my pastor, a dear sister in Christ, and myself. This will include a short, daily devo (similar to the Jesus Calling format, if you are familiar with that) that is based on the biblical truths found in traditional Christmas hymns. This Advent Series also has an accompanying playlist for all the referenced hymns.
I’m starting to populate the “Seasonal” part of my website with all things Christmas (decor, books, etc.) so be sure to check that out!
If you don’t already follow on social media, head on over! I share much more content, along with my personal walk, on those platforms. FB just reached over 500 followers this week! Praising Him!
Speaking of my personal walk, the last few months have included a season on increased service at church as well as a time of discernment which is why I haven’t been writing. The Lord has led me to pursue pastoral ordination and that process began over the summer. I will be attending seminary (at 40!) this January so prayers appreciated! A future series will follow how this calling on my life is playing out, in real time. God’s still writing that story so I really have no idea what it will look like!
Thank you all for the support! If I can pray for any of you, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’ll see you Sunday morning with the Prodigal Series…
A few weeks ago, I had a foreboding feeling that the enemy would attack either my friends or myself. Some girlfriends from church and I planned on going to a weekend women’s retreat (that’s actually where I wrote a bulk of today’s content).
If I’ve learned anything from my walk with God over the last few years, it’s that the enemy is just as determined as my God to capture my attention. We can be certain that if our intent is to spend time in fellowship with God, the enemy would assuredly want to keep us from that sacred time.
I thought about emailing my girlfriends a few days before the getaway: “Beware! The enemy will get in your head and try to be present in your circumstances. Do not fall for it! He wants to keep you from going on the retreat as much as the Lord yearns to have you there. Pay close attention to how the enemy tries to get to you through your family. He loves using what’s most dear to us to accomplish his wicked schemes.”
I never got around to sharing the proactive reminder, but the message still got told as, one by one, friends experienced obstacles, potentially preventing their attendance. Each time I shared the advice I wished I had shared just days before.
I wasn’t immune to attacks, either. My youngest called a few minutes after I left: she had a splinter and wanted me to come home to take care of it. I didn’t, nor did I go home after each of the ten or so times she called throughout the weekend. She was ok!
The enemy will do anything in his power to keep us from being with the one who created us. He actually takes delight in it. So, knowing this, we can be on the offensive and recognize when he is more prone to attack.
Got a mission trip planned? Gear up.
Going to a bible study on Wednesday? Hold your hats.
Driving to church on Sunday? Young families, ever notice how getting out the door on Sunday is hardly ever the highlight of your week? Even if you successfully make it to worship, how present are you, really? If you are stressed from the fighting, distracted from the nagging, and unsettled from the rushing…you’re probably not very present at all. I wasn’t in that season.
The enemy is unrelenting, but so is our Lord, and He is so much greater than anything the enemy can try to throw our way.
That said, I do get it. Real life happens. For better or for worse, valid reasons come up and our plans have to adapt accordingly. This is not about those circumstances.
Before I wrap up today, I want to leave you with a quick story of when God provided in the midst of the enemy’s schemes.
A few years ago, I was away on a mission trip. I lived in PA, but my mom was back at her home on Long Island with my kids. While I was away, one of my daughters came down with pneumonia. No one would have blamed me in the slightest if I packed up and went home. In fact, some may have even judged me for staying…but here’s the thing: the Lord already knew about her sickness when He placed it on my heart to go on the trip.
My mom masterfully cared for me when I was a sick child, and no one else could have given my own daughter better care than the woman who raised me. Not only that, but there was another woman who also felt led to go on the mission trip: my daughter’s pediatrician was away with me!
She walked my mom through all the things and even instructed urgent care on how to treat her. When my mom was back home with my daughter, our pediatrician walked her through how to do the nebulizer treatments.
Can you imagine?! My daughter responded to the treatment by the time I arrived home, and I was grateful for the time away with God. I was in awe over how He provided! I was also keenly aware of how if I had left early, I would have missed the opportunity for God to show his faithfulness. Not only that, but I would have handed the enemy what he wanted right on a silver platter.
Pray:
Father God, Fill me with your Spirit so I may more easily discern when the enemy is attacking. Help me to remember that battles between myself and my loved ones are actually battles with the enemy itself. Although I know Satan would like nothing more than for me to believe otherwise. I must not forget that you supply my every provision, and I will have everything I need in every circumstance. Do not allow well-laid out schemes prevent me from spending time with you or in the fellowship of other believers.
Did you ever wonder if praying actually makes a difference? What about when it “doesn’t work”? Or what about if God already knows what will happen? Should we still bother? Our reactions to these questions will really depend on what and how we think about prayer.
If we think that prayer is a mechanism by which we negotiate some sort of favorable outcome with our God, we would be sorely mistaken and misguided. Such a transactional mentality is what will keep us from really embracing prayer for what it is: an opportunity to communicate and be in a personal relationship with the one true God.
Kings on this side of eternity are hard to pin down. Someone interested in doing so typically has to seek an audience. By contrast, our heavenly King is always accessible and lovingly welcomes us into His presence. Like being still, not only is praying something we should do, but it is also a biblical imperative:
Just google “pray without ceasing” and see how many other references come up in scripture!
But doesn’t God already know everything about me? Of course…but He wants you to go to Him and tell Him what’s on your mind. Your struggles. Your triumphs. All of it!
But doesn’t God already know what will happen? Yup. He also wants His children to take a posture of humility and come to Him when they need help with something. Sometimes it’s more about the submission than it is about the prayer itself.
But does He hear me even when it doesn’t feel like it or when He is so busy with everyone else’s prayers? You betchya! Our omniscient God hears every prayer we lay before His throne. Sometimes it’s more about cultivating patience in us than it is about answering the prayer itself.
Friends, time spent in the presence of the Lord is NEVER wasted. He gives us exactly what we need. He undoubtedly provides what we would also ask for if we already knew what he knows. He loves us far too much to bend to our every inclination. Do you give your children everything they ask for at the time they ask for it?
Communicating with God is NEVER a waste of time, and we can communicate with Him for so many other reasons than when we need something from Him. When we pray…
If we experience a perspective shift, that is time well spent.
If we discern a bit more of what God would have us do with our lives, that is time well spent.
If we surrender more today than we did yesterday, that is time well spent.
If we ask for or receive forgiveness, that is time well spent.
If we give thanks for anything, no matter how trivial, that is time well spent.
If we cast our fears upon the Lord, that is time well spent.
If we humble ourselves in response to God’s almighty power, that is time well spent.
If we recognize something within us that needs refining, that is time well spent.
If we shout out to the Lord in frustration and anger, that is time well spent.
If we get to know Him, even slightly more intimately, that is time well spent.
If a temptation was kept at bay for just one more day, that is time well spent.
If someone’s life is changed, that is time well spent.
If someone’s eternity is redirected, that is time well spent.
If we simply rest in the presence of our God, that is time well spent, indeed.
Praying always matters and is never a waste of time!
Pray:
Father God, THANK YOU for the gift of prayer and for giving me a way to communicate with you at any time. I’m ashamed to admit that I often take unfettered access to you for granted. Please allow your spirit to work within me so that YOU are the first turn I take when I’m elated or anxious, sorrowed or blessed. I want to start and end my days in communication with you and incorporate prayer into all aspects of my life. Allow prayer to become a part of my day’s rhythm.
Here’s a different type of blog entry, but I think you’ll enjoy it! Our pastor gave me a brief assignment this Easter: study the lyrics in the song Lion by Elevation Worship and, on Easter Sunday, share a 4-minute teaching explaining the biblical references found in the song. The idea was to give everyone a better understanding of what they were about to sing.
I adored the assignment, and the song did not disappoint when it came to providing references to teach about. In today’s blog, I’m going to share an expanded version of what I taught on Easter Sunday.
If you haven’t heard the song yet, you can find the lyrics here and watch/listen to it on YouTube below.
Clearly, the song is steeped in rich scriptural references and imagery. I’m going unpack some of those references to offer some additional context. Hopefully, in doing so we will not only understand the lyrics more, but really begin to internalize how they point up and back to God.
Regardless of which image I attempt to explain, just know that they all have one thing in common: they relate to a larger story of God’s redeeming faithfulness throughout history, which really is the very thing which allows us to gather and celebrate on Easter.
At least two names for God are used in the song: the God of Jacob and the Great I AM.
God of Jacob
When we sing about the God of Jacob, we are referring to a term from Genesis 31. We often hear the term, “God of Jacob” as part of a trio: God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Whenever we hear associations to generations or lineages in the Bible, that usually points us to God’s faithfulness throughout those generations.
What God says in earlier generations either comes to pass in later ones or stands as proof of His faithfulness to those who follow. For example, when God made the Abrahamic covenant with Abraham, His plan included descendants as numerous as the stars, which included Jacob, David, Jesus, and us as believers.
Also, something else to keep in mind about Jacob, like us, Jacob didn’t have a pristine history or character. This is important, because in many ways, he is us. Yet, God was still able to accomplish His purposes through Him as being the fulfillment and perpetuator of a promise.
God doesn’t seem to mind being known as the God of Jacob (or God of…insert sinners name here…) for all of eternity. God came for all of us.
The Great I AM
Another name we will come across is The Great I AM, which is a term from the story of Moses and the burning bush in Exodus 3. When God appeared before Moses in the flames, he said, “I am the God of your father: The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob” (like we just read about) and then went on to say, “Moses, I-AM-WHO-I-AM,” also known as The Great I Am.
Now, just a few verses before this, God explained His plan for His people when He said, “I’ve taken a good long look at the affliction of my people in Egypt. I’ve heard their cries of deliverance from your their masters. I know all about their pain. Now, I’ve come down to help them.”
As God came down in the bush that day, He also came down to dwell among us in Jesus. In the same way I AM set out to free His people in Exodus 3, Jesus also came to free His people from what holds them captive & usher them into a new life.
When we sing “I AM,” we should recognize that God just is. He is present. He was present then in the past and still is today.
Also, God’s conversation with Moses nods back to God as the God of Jacob, further reinforcing His faithfulness throughout the ages.
So far, we have looked at two names for God the Father, but let’s take a look at some of the references to Christ the son.
Lion of Judah
Another really specific reference we will sing about is the Lion of Judah. Judah is the 4th son of Jacob, the person we just heard about in Genesis. In Genesis 49:9 we learn that Jacob gives the lion symbol to Judah and his tribe. The Lion of Judah also pops up right at the very end, in Revelation. There we learn that the Lion of Judah is Jesus…and when we sing let the lion roar in the song, remember there’s an authority in a roar. A Lion’s presence is known. Our Lord’s presence should be known and should leave an impression.
Also, let’s not miss that the same term for Jesus in mentioned in Genesis and Revelation, the first and last books of the Bible. He truly always was and is there, harking back to the idea of God as the Great I Am.
When we sing “Hail, Hail, Lion of Judah” keep in mind that no earthly king or conqueror can offer what our one true God can: eternal life. When we “Hail” we show respect, obedience, and allegiance.
Pride of Zion
We hear about the Pride of Zion in 1 & 2 Samuel, but the term Zion is referred to over 150 times in Scripture. It carries different and broadening meanings as Scripture progresses, starting with a specific reference to the City of David (i.e., Jerusalem) and morphing into God’s spiritual kingdom as a whole. In the New Testament, Peter quotes the Old Testament prophet Isaiah and calls Jesus the cornerstone of Zion…meaning the whole of God’s kingdom rests on Him.
Of course, there’s also significance when we think about Zion being Jerusalem, the City of David, considering that Jesus is a descendant of David, who by the way, is a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Isn’t that amazing?! All of these terms reinforce one another in multiple ways. Are you beginning to grasp how God’s divine plan and faithfulness has played out perfectly throughout human history?
He who Opens the Scroll
Keep all this in mind with the lyrics, “You alone are worthy to open up the scroll.” This is a prophecy mentioned in Revelation when John was told, “Do not weep for the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered so that he may open the scroll and its seven seals.” This sounds a little abstract but that’s ok…because it is. It’s an apocalyptic prophecy, which is generally more abstract in nature, and it begins to make more sense when we understand the references it makes throughout Scriptures.
You can read more about this vision in Revelation, but basically Jesus alone was found worthy to open a scroll because, as the lamb of God, He had shed His blood for all mankind. He became worthy of universal praise.
Lamb of God
The term Lamb of God is one which may sound more familiar to us, but this concept of Jesus as lamb is too important to just breeze over. Here’s what we are referencing when we talk about the lamb of God: in the times of the Old Testament, lambs were sin offerings. These sacrifices were time-limited, and they needed to be made again and again…that is…until Jesus came.
He was perfect, an extension of God: the God of Jacob, the Great I Am, the Lion of Judah, the Pride of Zion, and the cornerstone of the City of David. He was the perfect sacrifice. Our sins could be wiped clean once and for all. We need not have to sacrifice sin offerings anymore. The work on Calvary finished that sacrificial cycle. Jesus as the lamb was not just led to the slaughter- he was slaughtered. We will sing “Like the lamb, You suffered,” and like the Passover lamb, Jesus also died because of sins he did not commit…OUR sins.
Make no mistake, however: with the dying of the lamb, we also have the rising of a lion!
He is our lamb and our lion, our Lord AND our Savior. He is worthy of praise.
And that’s what we are called to do. Praise him for His faithfulness throughout human history to restore us back to himself…for being a human sacrifice in our place…for giving us a way to be with and worship God forever. He is the source of our eternal life and destination, our center and circumference. Let’s worship Him as such!
Our worship team at Wallenpaupack Church did such an incredible job with this song on Easter. Please check it out by clicking here! Enjoy the all that the talent and lyrics have to offer!
Also, for anyone who wants to watch the original, abbreviated version of this teaching, check out this clip, beginning at 5:10.
There was a moment a few days ago when I felt totally overwhelmed. I had just slept off the effects of a migraine. News of Russia’s attack on Ukraine by air, sea, and land infiltrated my newsfeed in the few hours I had unplugged. Although my headache had dissipated, the incessant throbbing was replaced by another feeling all together.
I anxiously thought, “What is happening?” “What’s next?” “Will our country get involved?” “Will my friends’ children be sent off to fight?”
With cost of everyday items on the rise at alarming rates, employers struggling to maintain adequate staffing levels, and the makings of a world war all contributing toward a landscape set against a still-looming pandemic backdrop, it is far too easy to think all is out of control. The fears and insecurities we are facing right now are real and justified.
Can you relate to these thought patterns?
If so, I have a reassuring word to share with you today, friend: we can find comfort in knowing that when all seems amiss, our God still has a plan. Events are surprises to us, but they are not surprises to Him.
Don’t forget…although we learn of passing circumstances in real time; we have a God who exists and operates beyond humanity’s conventional temporal restrictions and understandings.
In fact, the Old Testament is chockfull of prophesied New Testament events. What God indicated would happen during one point in history actually came to pass in another point of history. This is especially true we look at the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the Messiah foretold.
I don’t know about you, but I find consolation in that truth. Singular occurrences transpired in such a precisely orchestrated way over hundreds and thousands of years so that when the appointed time came, they all collectively effectuated Jesus’s life, death and resurrection as previously indicated.
That literally boggles my mind! It also speaks to God’s protective and sovereign hand covering all of history.
Around Christmastime, it’s common to hear references to Isaiah’s prophesies as related to Jesus’ birth. Here’s one you may be familiar with:
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
There’s many more examples of the Messiah’s birth prophesied throughout Scripture, but it wasn’t until I was much older that I realized that circumstances around his death and resurrection were also prophesied.
Below is a simple table I generated which shows a handful of such Old Testament crucifixion/resurrection Prophesies with the New Testament fulfillment of that prophesy.
Prophecy
OTProphetic Reference
NT Fulfillment Reference
The Messiah will have His hands and His feet “pierced” through.
Isn’t that incredible!? Isaiah preceded Jesus by about 700 years, and David did so by thousands of years! That’s almost too many generations filled with marriages, affairs, wars and murders-most-fowl to count! In fact, much of the Old Testament is dedicated to the rise and fall of kings and nations. Yet, through all the meandering mayhem, the Lord’s sovereign plan didn’t skip a beat. All played out in such a particular way so that His son entered and exited this side of eternity exactly as God revealed He would.
The result of that faithfulness throughout history culminates in the ascension, whereby Jesus not only exists as our personal and corporate savior, but as our Lord as well. We are the sons and daughters of a King…a King far more powerful than any earthly ruler or dictator!
Friends, the battle is won. The murder at Calvary need not happen twice. Until Jesus comes again, we can still be rest assured that all occurs according to His divine plan and for such a divine purpose as it did leading up to the death, crucifixion and ascension of Jesus over 2,000 years ago.
We can’t begin to fathom the way our God pieces history together, but we can find a blessed assurance in that He does. It’s my prayer that these assurances assist in subsiding any anxious thoughts within us…but in times that they do not, we must go to Him and talk to Him about our worries. He is there to listen each and every time we approach Him.
Confession time: I can get frustrated when things don’t happen when and as though I think they should. I abhor waiting. I thrive on instant gratification. If there’s anything I like less than waiting something out its giving up or giving in. I’m sure you can see that herein lies a great source of tension: I often refuse to fold, but waiting for a full hand to be played makes me want cry out in frustration as I not-so-patiently bide my time.
Can you relate at all to any of this? Maybe you don’t know what the next season of life holds for you? Maybe you are desperate to see a change in your child’s behavior? Maybe you long to have your spouse to go to church with you? Maybe there’s a habit you want to change in yourself, but you made the same poor decision yet again this week. Maybe you are getting tired of waiting it out and you want to see results now. Not tomorrow, not this month…but now.
I get it.
Allow me to speak some encouragement into your situation today. It’s never too late for a breakthrough. Cultivating the patience necessary to wait it out is well worth it. As I’ve already shared, this is not something which comes naturally to me, nor am I as patient as I ought to be for much of the time….but now I have a visual to remind me to practice patience: an old potted plant on my back deck. Let me explain incase it can help you, too…
As you’ll learn as you spend more time with me, I absolutely adore making spaces feel like home. My old office cubicle? Homemade bunting draped across the carpeted walls. My makeshift basement gym? An accent chair and a plant take up space like they have every right to be in that cinder-blocked room. I cherish moments spent getting our church spruced up for each changing season.
You get the idea.
Pinterest would have been a small miracle if it was around when I planned my wedding and decorated my first nurseries.
I share this just to set the stage for what’s to come in this little story. Also, I’m about to get dark for a few moments, but I promise I won’t stay there for too very long! After all, this is meant to be encouraging!
Just about 3 years ago my sister and I lost our mom to a VERY short bout of cancer. I’ll revisit this season in our lives throughout other posts, but for now let’s just focus on the activities known as “the arrangements.” My sister is just as in love with interior design as I am, and we really wanted mom’s services to feel like “us”….the three of us…and how we have our own homes decorated.
Unfortunately, that is really hard to accomplish when florists only offer tremendous sprays and displays filled with flowers that we would never have on our own tables. Needless to say, through a remarkable series of events, also known as God’s hand (wink wink), we had an idea to skip the florist all together! There! I said it! We skipped the obligatory florist hired for funerals! Gasp!
Do you know what we did instead? We scoured the lengths of Long Island for ball-based Dogwood trees and Japanese Willows. It was the first week of June, and they were in full bloom! We added in some white hydrangea, a flower mom always had in her kitchen, and baby’s breath. I hit the springtime décor jackpot when I found dozens of white tulips in Trader Joes (the florist said they would be impossible to find).
With a few potted plants, wooden crates, and Hobby Lobby signage thrown into the mix, one could have easily mistaken the viewing room for an event space holding a bridal shower of the modern farmhouse variety.
Now, back to the trees. Not only were they a beautiful addition to such a bittersweet time in our lives, but my sister and I were able to take one of each kind home with us. We planted them in our yards. Or rather, we each planted the dogwoods, and only my sister planted the Japanese Willow…while I foolishly left mine in the pot.
I don’t have a green thumb. In full disclosure, I should also mention that the plant I mentioned “living” in my basement is actually totally fake and totally from IKEA.
Needless to say, my perpetually potted willow eventually turned into nothing more than dried up sticks in the overly dry dirt. I put the pot outside for “fresh air”, but the Pocono winter did absolutely nothing for my revival efforts. In fact, as I’m sure you could imagine, the winter made matters worse. So, there it was…this plant, long gone and covered in snow…and just within view of my kitchen window on the back patio.
Even though it completely died in the pot, every time I looked out the window I kept on wondering if it would ever bloom the next spring. I wish I could say it did, but it didn’t…not in that Spring, at least.
I almost finally tossed the batch of brittle twigs where Christmas wreaths and Autumn mums meet their final resting place out back when I noticed the FOLLOWING summer that new shoots were growing! Take a look at this pic I grabbed from my social media account after I first noticed the new growth.
Whatever your struggle is now, don’t lose faith. If I had tossed the willow out seasons, months, weeks or even days earlier, I never would have known that flowers would eventually come, all those seasons later. There’s life after death, and God can make all things new! We don’t know all the plans laid out for us or our loved ones, but God does, and we will discover them in His perfect timing!
This is a concrete example of life after death, rebirth, and deliverance. Scriptures are full of examples as well. What if Joshua’s army quit circling Jericho after 5 days? What about if Noah felt too defeated to go on after 39 days of nonstop flooding? The entire story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead only happened because Lazarus was allowed to die first.
Sound familiar? Easter Sunday only occurred because God allowed His son to die first. It was all part of His perfect plan for the redemption of humankind, and in His timing there was new life and deliverance.
Again, do not lose faith. Be patient. Even if it seems as though all redemptive chances have come and gone…and come and gone again…He who redeems can bring any situation through to fruitful completion. If you are waiting for the next mile marker to reveal itself, trust in His timing. God is neither late nor early. He is always right on time.
Allow Him to cultivate patience in you as you wait on His timing. You truly never know when what you are seeking, or something far better, will come to fruition!
Did you catch all of the Be Still Series? Here it is!
As we wrap up this series, I want to accomplish 3 things: briefly summarize previous posts in the series; leave you with a gentle word of caution; and, finally, impart final words of encouragement.
Now, here’s the simplest part. Lets review the topics covered in each of the 6 parts published so far (all are hyperlinked for easy reference):
Part 1
An Introduction to Being Still explored how being still is an imperative from God. In this way, being still isn’t a form of weakness; there is boldness in the obedience and stillness.
Part 2
Emptying Our Plates provided some advice on how to go about emptying already full plates. How can we be still if we are too busy to be still? Remember, we will be able to accomplish infinitely more for those entrusted to our care and for the kingdom if we surrender to God’s will for our lives. Sometimes less is more!
Part 3
Living it Out attempted to put my own advice and the Word of God into practice. Instead of spending more time on writing than I reasonably had to give during the busy holiday season and while my family quarantined; I opted to share some of the best content ever created: Scripture. Verses focusing on the need to rest were highlighted as I took a step back for a few days.
Part 4
Saying No offered additional examples of life application as related to being still, specifically on how to say, “No.” The latter skill is key if we want to keep our schedules balanced once we get them to where God would like them to be.
Part 5
Is Keeping the Sabbath Still for Real? established the Sabbath rest as part of God’s design for creation. God set the standard and the example for us, his creation, when he, the Creator, rested on the 7th day. Creation was incomplete until it encompassed the act of resting.
Part 6
Finally, Resting Better suggested an antidote to our restlessness: trusting in the Lord more during the times when we are asked to slow down. A biblical example from Exodus set the backdrop for this important and sometimes sensitive discussion.
Now, speaking of sensitive discussions, here is that promised word of caution I mentioned earlier: be wary of keeping “sabbath” rest for purely legalistic reasons. While I understand we all have seasons where we need to “fake it until we make it,” Sabbath rest should be more of a mindset than something we feel obligated to squeeze into our schedules. Once rest becomes something else to check off we are missing the point. Yes, we are to be obedient and be still, but its a heart change as much as it is either a scheduling or cerebral change.
The essence of the Sabbath (and being still) is to cease, stop striving and trust in Him. As long as you are doing this intentionally out of a pure heart, you are doing just fine! Do not get hung up on the exact day you are keeping your Sabbath. Doing so can push up against some dangerously legalistic territory!
Now that we have recapped the series as a whole and have received our loving dose of caution, let me share some final words of encouragement.
But first…
Do me a favor, and scroll up for a quick second. See that picture? That’s my 8-year old daughter, Kaleigh, laying on my lap during church two weeks ago. Do you know what else she is resting on? There’s something between her head and my lap…My Bible! The Word! She is literally and figuratively at rest on and in the Word during a worship service!
Next time I need to be grounded and be still, I’m going to think of the simultaneously simple yet profound truths portrayed in that picture. The Word is around her; she’s soaking it in as she peacefully listens to the message. The Word is in Her. She loves Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is alive in her! The Word is touching her. She is literally touching it, but it is also moving her heart! This 8-year old had not a care in the world that Sunday: she just needed to be still while existing and absorbing His Word.
After looking at the picture some more I started to wonder what light a childlike faith could shed on the idea of resting on God. It is that simplicity and pureness of heart I’d like to leave you with today, which is why I asked each of my three children what resting on God meant to them. Here’s what they said:
Following what He says.
Kaleigh, age 8
Believing in God and putting faith in God.
Keira, age 10
Relying on His Word. Relying that He is there when you need Him the most. Relying that he is just there.
William, age 14
Right out of the mouths of babes, am I right?! Do you have a child in your life you could ask the same question to? See what they say! Perhaps their answers, lacking any pretense whatsoever, will provide you with a refreshing perspective: a perspective that can’t easily come from many well-read or even well-intentioned adults.
Friends, although I’ve now spent several weeks recounting scriptural truths and practical how-to-style advice, please know that resting on the Word of God doesn’t have to be difficult; but it does take our willingness.
As our pastor pointed out this morning during service, “we need to step back and step toward God.” Go to Him…be still…and find rest. It will change you.
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When last I shared here, as far as the Be Still Series goes, I suggested that some of us struggle with resting well. Although there could be many reasons for this, today we are going to focus on one reason in particular: perhaps, just maybe, our ability to truly rest is lacking because we lack a deep enough trust in God to provide for us while we attempt to press pause in any real meaningful way. Do you think this could be true for you? It can be for me.
What if I miss that deadline? What if I don’t have time to give all the kids baths later? What if someone has to cover for me? What if….?
Here’s the thing: although I am guilty of not always putting the Lord first, I have never put the Lord first and been short on time because of it. As we learned elsewhere in this series, if we rest the way the Lord has designed us to rest, we are following a part of His will for our lives. Therefore, we can have a blessed assurance that by resting in such a way we will still be able to accomplish everything we need to accomplish on any given day. We may not get to everything we want to complete on our self-fabricated to-do lists. But, in such cases, rest assured those tasks bypassed for another day or season wouldn’t be essential to that day in question anyway. He always provides what we need.
Exodus 16 tells of a time when the Israelites were instructed by God to go out into the dessert and gather food (manna) for one day; none was to be saved for the next day. Think: you get an allowance each day, but then also have to spend down to zero each day, trusting you will have another allowance out of nowhere in the morning. I can feel my anxiety rising just thinking about it!
The Israelites continued in this way for just about a week. On the 6th day, however, they were to gather twice as much so as to last for the next day as well. Why? Because God instructed them to rest on the next day…the 7th day. Sound familiar?
And just like that, we can clearly see the nexus between trusting God while also honoring His command to rest a Sabbath’s rest.
The Israelites needed to trust in Him, that He would provide, and that they would not go hungry. They needed to practice a daily dependence on their God…our God. Then, they needed to do all this while they were “left” of the sidelines, allowed to rest, but not to gather any sustenance for an entire day.
Do you know what happened to those Israelites who took it upon themselves to harvest on day 7? They couldn’t harvest. There was nothing there for them. They could not get any additional nourishment that the Lord did not already provide. Verse 29 says:
Bear in mind that the Lord has GIVEN you the Sabbath; that is why of the sixth day he GIVES you bread for two days.
Do you see? The sustenance and the sustaining rest are BOTH gifts to us from God. Who are we to manipulate such a divine plan for humanity?…especially one which commands rest?!
Can you think of a time when you were stretched beyond thin and yet you got through it all in tact? That was God. Can you think of a time when you didn’t know where the next paycheck was coming from but your bills still got paid? That was God. What about a time when you were so sick that you couldn’t bring yourself to sign into that zoom or drive for your turn in the carpool? Did everything work out? I thought so!
Friends, don’t wait until you are forced to stop from pure exhaustion, sickness or anxiety attacks. Even if you don’t get that far, I’ll bet none of us are all that pleasant to be around when we don’t press pause as we ought to. By obediently adhering to His commands and trusting in his provisions, you are proactively protecting your relationship with Him and others.
Pray:
Father God, Jehovah Jireh, you are so reliable!! You conjured manna out of nowhere…in the middle of nowhere! Of course, you will provide for me and your church as I take a day to rejuvenate and focus on you alone. Remind me of that as often as I need to be reminded of it! Forgive me for being so stubborn and still wanting to get in all the things, especially in the time that really isn’t mine to begin with. Let me rest so you can provide and be glorified.
I used to think that the idea of “keeping the Sabbath” was totally old fashioned and didn’t relate to me in any way whatsoever. I was so wrong! While Sabbath keeping is deeply rooted in Jewish law and tradition, it couldn’t be more relevant to modern Christian living and being still. It is still very much for real!
Before I delve into various aspects of the Sabbath, today and over the next few weeks, let’s take a moment to establish the concept of a Sabbath rest as part of God’s design for creation. The Creation account in Genesis declares:
On the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.
In this way, one way to look at the Sabbath is as a physical time of rest. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean napping, binge watching Yellowstone (although I’m totally guilty of that!), and taking relaxing baths. It is not a rest as in merely abstaining from activity. Rather it is an intentional action which results in a much deeper, soulful, fulfilling time of replenishment. This type of rest is known as menuha in Hebrew. Rabbi Heschel explains:
Menuha, which we usually render with ‘rest’ means much more than labor and exertion, more than freedom from toil, strain or activity of any kind. Menuha here [in Genesis 2:2] is not a negative concept but something real and intrinsically positive. This must have been the views of the ancient rabbis if they believed that it took a special act of creation to bring it into being, that the universe would be incomplete without it. What was created on the seventh day? Tranquility, serenity, peace and repose.
Rabbi Heschel, The Sabbath: Its Meaning for Modern Man
Since the creation story is indeed seven days long, and not six, that necessarily stipulates that rest is also part of what was intended to be created. Rabbi Heschel goes on:
We would surely expect the Bible to tell us that on the sixth day God finished His work. Obviously, the ancient rabbis concluded, there was an act of creation on the seventh day. Just as heaven and earth were created in six days, menuha was created on the Sabbath. After six days of creation, what did the universe still lack? Menuha. Came the Sabbath, came menuha, and the universe was complete.
Rabbi Heschel, The Sabbath: Its Meaning for Modern Man
We’ve established that rest was intentional. However, it was also so important that God Himself partook in it, regardless of His own strength or actual necessity for such a pause. I doubt God actually needed to rest, as we often think of the word, but He did it anyway. He did it within the confines of what was intended for the created order. How can such a realization change the way we think of rest? Would anyone dare judge the Lord’s need for rest as weakness? Perhaps, there is wisdom in the stillness. Perhaps there is something more to this Sabbath rest as implied by the Rabbi.
The act of resting is also intended for us. With that truth in mind, we can also know that God wouldn’t intend rest for us if it wasn’t possible.
So why don’t we rest when we know we ought to? While there are likely many reasons, some of which we’ve explored together in the Be Still Series, I think much of our apprehension to rest comes from a lack of trust in Him.
While we can say we trust the Lord, its an entirely different ballgame to actually align our lives in such a way which demonstrates our proclaimed trust. It is this very concept which we will explore next week, followed by additional thoughts on how we can incorporate a Sabbath mindset into our everyday lives.
Pray:
Father God, thank you for giving us an example of not only how we should live our lives through your Son and written Word, but also how we should rest. I admit that sometimes I worry about not being able to accomplish everything I want to accomplish, so I forego resting as I ought. I need to trust you more, knowing that if you desire me to rest, I will be able to accomplish everything you desire me to accomplish while still being able to press pause and press into you. Help me trust you more.
We need to get better at saying, “No”. There, I said it! I know, I know…we don’t want to let people down. We want to be reliable. We want to come across as if we can do it all. We want to help and not be helped. I get it. Here’s the thing: we can still be reliable, help and be helped all while also saying, “No,” when that response is what God would want for us.
Be wary of putting helping and declining at odds with one another: choosing between the two does not have to be an either/or decision. It can, and should, be a both/and dichotomy whereby one furthers the other: saying “no” to pave the way for something better and having the ability to better serve because something else was turned down.
When discerning what is aligned with God’s will for your life there are three main resources at your disposal: scripture, prayer and other believers.
We can’t do it all. We weren’t meant to. What if our saying, “No,” allows for someone else to say, “Yes?” Why would we allow ourselves to get burnt out over doing all the things when we could really excel in fewer areas that really highlight our gifts from God? A key component to being still is only taking on what God intends for us to take on.
Remember, just because we could doesn’t mean we should.
If turning down opportunities to serve (in the church or out of it) sounds like it could be challenging, take some time to practice. Yep! Practice saying, “No.” There’s two main approaches here:
Start with something small so you can build up some resistance, or
Just go all in and decline a larger commitment. Consequently, in turn, all other rejections may seem like a piece of cake.
If this is something you really want to delve more into, I recommend the Cloud & Townsend book, Boundaries. Part three, Developing Healthy Boundaries, might be especially useful for you.
Here is an analogy from a Christian counselor I once saw. It goes something like this:
A juggler, even the best in the world, can only juggle so many balls at the same time. Even if every ball up in the air is “good”, there is still only so much that can be suspended midair at any given time. Be intentional about what you pick up and allow to be juggled by you.
My insightful therapist, a much wiser human than I
Pray:
Father God, my desire to help others and do for my family is a double edged sword at times. Sometimes I have nothing left to give, and yet that still doesn’t stop me from taking on more commitments. I’ve already proven to you and others that I could do these things, but help me focus on what I should do. Give me the strength and discernment needed to respectfully decline the next opportunity that is not aligned with your will for me. I know that such a task will be done even better by someone who is truly called to play that role. Allow me to only commit to those activities which make the best use of the precious gifts you have graciously given to me.
Living Simply With God 