Exodus 20:8-11 (NLT)
“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it Holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day He rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.”
May the Lord bless you my sisters and brothers in Christ!
It’s truly a blessing to be alive today and standing firm in the liberty knowing that Christ Jesus has set us free. We are called as joint heirs of His kingdom, to experience His wonderful glory. Today I would love to encourage you to rest in Jesus. As I meditated on the Word of God, I heard “Resting Day." I heard in my spirit, when was the last time you took a day out of the seven days I created to rest and abide in Me? This question pierced my heart like an arrow, as I was stopped in my tracks to consider all the years of following Christ, how many times I had really devoted to resting in the Lord. I continued to hear, "You make appointments daily for your personal agenda, you make time to spend with family and friends. You dedicate time to go to work, but what about making a special appointment with Jesus?" On this day the Lord was giving me a reality check. When you take a day to reflect on the Lord's goodness it is good, but we must also be setting aside a “Resting Day” which is vital to our growth in the Lord. A day set aside to honor Him with gratitude and appreciation for all He has done.
I’m not just talking about going to a Sunday service, prayer meeting, or Bible study in the week, but a special date called “Resting Day” with Jesus. A date to acknowledge His commands for us as His children, a day to appreciate His beautiful creation, a day to honor the Lord for all that He has done for us. It’s a day to pour out our heart with tears of our love to God, like the woman with the alabaster box- it represents giving God our best and our all. Luke 7:37 states, “A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume.” The Woman boldly approached Jesus and poured out her expensive perfume to anoint Him. Her actions were looked down upon by fellow onlookers; however, it was greatly appreciated by Christ Himself. Truly this Word from the Lord touched me with a great conviction. It propelled me to be intentional about honoring the Lord with a “Resting Day”. Our heavenly Father is deserving of all our time, attention, praise and worship unto Him. Many times, the Lord just wants our attention just to hear His soft tender voice- confirming His sovereign love towards us. For the price He paid for sending His son to die for us, we owe it all to Him. So, this week, I encourage us to open up our calendar- sit before the Lord and say, “Jesus, what day would you like me to give unto you as a “Resting Day”- Let Him provide you with the date, time, and place of meeting. For His lavished unfailing love has been unto His people for a thousand generations on those who love and obey His commands (Exodus 20:6).
The Bible says, In Exodus 20:2 (NLT), “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery." We were once bound to this world, but thanks be to Jesus for His precious blood that had redeemed all generations. We are now no longer slaves to sin, but children of God. As I meditated on this amazing scripture in the Old Testament. The Lord reminded me of His love, mercies, grace and faithfulness towards us. He has been doing so from the beginning and will continue doing so until the very end of time to all generations that loves Him and keeps His commandments. Exodus 20:18 states, “When the people heard the thunder and the loud blast of the ram’s horn, and when they saw the flashes of lightening and the smoke billowing from the mountain, they stood at a distance trembling with fear.” The Ten Commandments were given as a covenant between God and His people to follow, in order to keep us from sinning. I truly believe after these signs the Lord expected that His commandments would transform and change their hearts. Ezekiel 36:26-27 says, “And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.”
The Lord has given His word, and I pray that He will give us wisdom, knowledge and understanding of all Ten Commandments written. We truly don’t take it lightly, but desire to live in the fear of the Lord and in reverence of who He is. For His Word declares in, Proverbs 1:7 (NLT), “Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and disciple.”
Our Prayer
Abba father, we repent of the all known and unknown sins that we have committed-we ask for You to wash us, purify our hearts and purge out everything that exalts itself against your knowledge. We ask that You forgive us, if we have not rightfully acknowledged Your commandments. Lord we acknowledge that You are our comforter- sent to lead us into a path of righteousness. Lord we ask for You to give us a deeper revelation of Your commandments so we will honor You sincerely in Spirit and in truth. We thank You Lord that in all our receiving of Your Word, we will gain wisdom, knowledge and understanding. At the end of it all we thank You that the glory and honor will be given to only You, in Jesus name!
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