Rest

The LORD will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of streets with Dwellings. IF you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on My holy day, IF you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD’S holy day honorable, and IF you honor it by  not going your own way, and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, THEN you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob. The mouth of the LORD has spoken. (Isaiah 58:11-14)

Lord, HOW do I keep my feet from breaking Your Sabbath? Honestly, I’ve never been taught. If I’ve heard sermons on it, I don’t remember them. But LORD, I know that this is important because you keep bringing it up! And I LOVE You for that!!! You truly are my heavenly husband who keeps harping at me “would you please sit down! You’re making ME tired!” You are just that wonderful! So Lord, how should I keep the Sabbath holy?

This is what the LORD says: Be careful not to carry a load on the Sabbath day or bring it through the gates of Jerusalem. Do not bring a load out of your houses or do any work on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your forefathers. Yet they did not listen or pay attention; they were stiff-necked and would not listen or respond to discipline. But IF you are careful to obey Me, declares the LORD, and bring no load through the gates of this city on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy by not doing any work on it, THEN kings who sit on David’s throne will come through the gates of this city with their officials. They and their officials will come riding in chariots and on horses, accompanied by the men of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, and this city will be inhabited forever. People will come from the towns of Judah and the villages around Jerusalem, from the territory of Benjamin and the western foothills, from the hill country and the Negev, bringing burnt offerings, incense and thank offerings to the house of the LORD. BUT if you do not obey Me to keep the Sabbath day holy by not carrying any load as you come through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle an unquenchable fire in the gates of Jerusalem that will consume her fortresses. (Jeremiah 17:21-27)

In Jeremiah 17:21 it says to “be careful not to carry a load on the Sabbath” the word “load” in Hebrew is mas’sa and according to Strongs is: a burden; specifically, tribute, or (abstractly) porterage; figuratively, an utterance, chiefly a doom, especially singing; mental, desire – burden, carry away, prophecy, x they set, song, tribute. So, if I’m reading this right then for one day every week we are to lay down our burdens, to stop carrying them around with us. We should set aside one whole specific day every week where we put aside the labor of our hands and come join You at the foot of the cross where we spend the whole day laying our physical and spiritual burdens down at Your feet asking for You to take them and bear them for us. I think You’re saying that we need to dedicate one whole day to resting in Your arms, and not JUST in the arms of the Lazy Boy in the living room in front of the TV. An entire day to rend our hearts, searching them with Your light to find any deceitfulness in them so that You may remove it from us! Lord, “blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out it’s roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; it’s leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:8) Lord, may I be that “man”! May I trust in You Yahweh, may my confidence be in You… my confidence IS in You. May I be like a tree planted by the water sending my roots straight to Your strengthening  streams of Living water – Your Word the Bible. Then I will not fear when trials come and will have no fear when hard times come – may I always bear much fruit for You and Your glory. Lord Jesus, I praise You and thank You that You love me so desperately that You’ve… strongly suggested… that I take an entire day every week to spend with You, our own date day! You ARE so incredibly sweet, I love You!!!