Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
July 3, 2022
Read Exodus 20:8-11
8 Remember the Sabbath day and treat it as holy. 9 Six days you may work and do all your tasks, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. Do not do any work on it—not you, your sons or daughters, your male or female servants, your animals, or the immigrant who is living with you. 11 Because the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything that is in them in six days, but rested on the seventh day. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
Good morning! Honor the Sabbath with rest!
Today is my first Sunday at my new appointment. I am blessed and excited to meet my new congregations, but I miss and pray for those that I will not be worshiping with today. I know that we are all together as brothers and sisters in Christ, but as humans we like being in the physical presence of each other. I bless the ministries of all believers, but I send out a special blessing to those who are celebrating new pastors this morning. May their church missions grow and flourish under their new direction.
Today’s passage can be challenging! For those who work on Sunday it is necessary to find a day of rest. I remember for too many years that my “day off” from work was filled with so many tasks that just couldn’t get done during the other days. Sometimes we even become obsessed with work and feel that we must work every waking moment. We even feel guilty of being lazy when we rest.
How silly our human brains can be! Jesus showed us by example the need to take time away for prayer and rest. There is always more work to do, more lost sinners to find, but without rest and spiritual nourishment our burdens become too heavy to carry. 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:28-29 NIV)
It can be hard but we must give ourselves the grace to experience our Sabbath Day without work and without distraction. If not on Sunday, take another day!
Loving and Gracious God, Thank You for loving us. It is hard for us to slow down and even harder to stop for rest. Thank you. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: Sabbath rest is a gift from God.
Rest and Revive your Soul! Pastor Liz
Comments