“Thus says the LORD: ‘Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the Sabbath day…nor do any work, but hallow the Sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers.’ But they did not obey nor incline their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear nor receive instruction.” Jeremiah 17:21-23

Stop Moving!

My little brother was hyperactive (at least that’s what we used to call it.) He was so busy all the time! He didn’t stand—he ran. He didn’t sit—he jiggled and bounced. His words and thoughts tumbled. He. Could. Not. Calm. Down.

WAAYYY back in the beginning, God saw what we were headed for today. He saw the chaotic lives we’d live, saw our bustling busyness, our attempts to control everything, our connectedness to everyone, our information overload.

And WAAYYY back then, he instituted the Sabbath. The quiet day. The day for rest. The day to be restored. The day to think things over, to meditate on spiritual things, to seek the Lord, to “hear and receive instruction.”

Sabbath is a day to put God first. Why would He speak, if we never listen? How can His whispers be heard above the noise? How can we know what’s in our heart if we don’t give Him time to show us? How can we pay attention to Him if we’re busy paying attention to everything else?

He never changed His mind about keeping the Sabbath. He tells us to “hallow” that day, every single week. To hallow is to set apart and dedicate to sacred purposes. If we spend the Sabbath like every other day, we have not set it apart for sacred purposes.

When I do not purpose to spend time with the Lord in quietness and meditation, I lose out. I give no room for God’s voice to be louder than my own. I give no time to pursuing Him. I do not receive His instruction. I will spend another week being just like I am this week, knowing just what I know this week, and probably feeling just like I feel this week. Apparently, I feel like I am special—His words don’t apply to me.

I know—duty calls. We have families. Some of us have jobs on the Sabbath. God is not condemning us (He never is!), but still He faithfully calls us to come, sit, and hear Him no less often than once each week. But many of us simply won’t do it. Our attitude is, “Well, He hasn’t struck me by lightning yet, so I guess I’m okay!”

Let’s purpose to do life His way. Who knows what might happen? “’Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ says the LORD…” (Jeremiah 29:12-14).

“Lord, we want to do life the way You outlined for us. Help us to do what You’ve told us is best. Amen.”