God’s Refreshment.

Reading: Exodus 23, Psalm 119:137-176, and Romans 9

 

Scripture: Exodus 23:10-12 For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield, but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the beasts of the field may eat. You shall do likewise with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard. “Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your servant woman, and the alien, may be refreshed.

 

Thoughts: Factories run twenty-four hours a day seven days a week and 365 days a year. When does it all stop? In Exodus God sets up the precedent of taking a Sabbath rest putting it in the law of Israel. We are called to rest from our work. Not just a physical rest for rest's sake, but a time to seek God and reflect on where our relationship with God is. We all have different things that help us to rest and recharge, some get recharged walking or a quiet time in nature, others want a community around them, and others may want some time to just relax with some entertainment. Yes, our bodies need refreshment but so does our soul. Our soul’s refreshment comes from removing ourselves from the worries and strains of the world and seeking Him who can refill our tanks so that the week has run dry. We all need to do better about finding a time to remove all worldly inputs and seek God’s refreshment in our lives.

 

Prayer: Lord God, I come to rest in your presence, fill me with your love and mercy. I place my worries and struggles at your feet. I ask that you help me to open my heart to receive that I may pour into others. Fill me to overflowing, overwhelm me with your love.