If you ever want to grasp the breadth and depth of God’s love for you in one sitting, just read Psalm 103. David can’t contain his joy or gladness of spirit. “With all my heart I praise the LORD, and with all that I am I praise his holy name!” he begins.
Without pausing for breath David continues to describe who God is and what he does.
Read More failure, confession, rest, joy
Even in seeking to assure obedience, God’s passion is displayed towards those who are still to be brought into the community of faith. The effect of obedience is to assure the health of the worshipping community. There is a direct benefit in setting aside a day for worship, and rest has a direct benefit for the obedient. Our bodies function best with regular rest. Our emotional and spiritual health functions best with regular worship.
Read More worship, obedience, Sabbath, restThe need for the feasts God appointed in the Old Testament is gone. Jesus has taken their place. Paul tells us, Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. (Colossians 2:16 & 17 NIV) Nevertheless the spirit in which God gave his people festivals, like the Sabbath, should not be ignored.
Read More trust, Sabbath, restNighttime can be difficult time for many people. At night we are more susceptible to anxieties and worries. Some suffer insomnia because of the unbearable weight of burdens. Others wake up in the middle of the night finding themselves in a vicious fight with fearful thoughts. The night can confront us with threats that scare us or situations that overwhelm us. We must fight with these anxious thoughts on our own or trust the Lord to come to our rescue.
Read More rest, sleep, protection, safety, peaceI curled in a fetal position, dark eddies of despair threatening to overtake me. My world was crashing down around me. I gasped out to God for help, for a small measure of peace. Over time, he pulled me from that dark place. But it didn’t come easy. I had to believe God could – and would – take those burdens I carried; I had to believe he was listening.
Read More despair, prayer, hope, rest, dépression
The law is a good thing. Laws give us definition. They help us understand the boundaries and keep a check on violence – that is until they themselves become their own kind of violence.
What does one do when the law prohibits one from healing a disease or saving a life? Jean Valjean stole a loaf of bread to feed his starving family. Corrie Ten Boom hid her Jewish neighbors so to save them from the Nazis.
Read More Sabbath, law, rest“Aha! We’ve caught him, breaking the law.” The law – everything in Leviticus and Deuteronomy – says that you should not work on the Sabbath. In the Ten Commandments God specifies that the seventh day belongs to the Lord and that means that both Jew and Gentile (and even animals!) should worship and rest. That means no work. It’s built into the way the world has been made (Genesis 2:1-3; Exodus 20:8-11).
Read More Sabbath, rest, compassion, worship
As the Spanish philosopher George Santayana so wisely said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Quoting from Psalm 95, the writer to the Hebrews here calls to mind a tragic episode in Israel’s past by way of encouraging steadfast faith and believing hearts.
Read More rest, turning away, effort, staying alertI wonder how rest features in your life. Do you suffer from the modern epidemic of workaholism? Do you struggle to wind down at the end of the day? Do you check your email as soon as you wake? Do you write ‘to do’ lists in the shower and take your laptop on vacation? So many of us lead lives with very little margin …
Read More rest, dependence on God, workaholism
I curled in a fetal position, dark eddies of despair threatening to overtake me. My world was crashing down around me. I gasped out to God for help, for a small measure of peace. Over time, he pulled me from that dark place. But it didn’t come easy. I had to believe God could – and would – take those burdens I carried …
Read More rest, dépression, despair, prayer, hope