Exodus 20:8-11
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Exodus 20:8-11 (NIV)
My dad, I think of him when I start so many of my devotions. He was a hard-working farmer. He played a bass horn in a polka band. He played as hard as he worked, but farming did not happen on Sundays. Sundays were for going to church first, stopping in to see Grandpa and Grandma after church, usually playing a game of cards, heading home for lunch, traveling to my other grandma's house, often playing a family board game or watching football or playing outdoors. I just do not remember him ever getting on a tractor on a Sunday. He believed in keeping holy the Sabbath. We still fed the animals, of course, and cooked meals and straightened things up, but Sundays were about family, and togetherness and above all, Church.
It must be that my father truly tried to be in the image of the Lord. There was never a doubt that we would head for church first thing in the morning, all shined and polished and ready to pay homage. I am sorry to say that I have not been as diligent and devoted to doing the right things, and not doing the wrong things on Sunday. Sometimes I work, not because my employer demands it, but because I have not planned as well as I should and I feel there is something I must necessarily get completed, and Sunday is when I do it. Not really how our Lord would want me to act, I'm sure. I am sure that for myself, and probably others, this is a hard directive to follow. How could it be wrong to do the hard work and get things done, even if it must be done on Sunday?
Once again it comes down to God guiding us along a path that we may not recognize is actually the best thing for us, even though we may not see that. I believe the commandments, almost more than keeping us holy, were commanded by God to keep us safe and able to spend eternity in Heaven. Just as a father leads his children toward the safest of options in life, our Father directs us to things that save us from losing our focus. God's love is so great for us that He is forever looking out for our well being.
Questions for Reflection:
- Is there a way to more frequently put other things aside to keep holy the Sabbath?
- What do we do to honor God when we are not honoring our work or chores?
Prayer
Dear Lord, I know you make rules to keep me safe and on the right path. Help me to see that you are always looking out for my best interest. Thank you for showing me the way and loving me always. Amen
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