RTW February 12
Sabbath State of Mind
You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day must be a Sabbath day of complete rest, a holy day dedicated to the Lord.
Exodus 35:2a
My Takeaways
Something Old
I have lost the rhythm of life that included a day of rest.
Something New
Abodah: to work or to serve. The cluster of words derived from the root give us insight into the nature of both worship and work.
Melachah: business or creative work
The Sabbath is a day to celebrate the work we’ve done…
- By Rejoicing: Praise the Lord for accomplished work
- By Resting: Relax our body for the week’s work
- By Reflecting: Clear our minds of the previous week’s clutter (this helps balance out any discouragement over unfinished jobs.)
- By Refreshing: Do something we enjoy doing.
- By Arranging: Plan your schedule for the week.
Something to Do
Set my Sabbath state of mind on the Lord, and honor Him with a day of rest and celebration.
Arrange could be “ready”……ready yourself for the week to come!
Thank you for this reminder Wendy. The stresses of working full time, caring for parents in declining health, worrying over children and grandchildren, and trying to cook healthy meals and keep a clean house have worn me out and caused me to be “frazzled!” Honestly, I struggle with feeling guilty when I rest. Today’s reminder, that God directs me to REST in HIM, is exactly what my body, mind, and spirit need. (It is interesting that I’m taking a sick day today as I read this! Probably sick because I haven’t allowed myself the rest that I need!) I sincerely appreciate this message and will try to be more aware of truly taking the Sabbath rest, that God planned for me. .
Something Old
Not all could give gold, but there were many needs to be met. I was thinking how equally important it was to meet each of those….especially since God’s instructions were so very specific. If one did not respond with the smaller necessities, part would be missing.
Something New
It was an intentional and personal decision on whether to give and what and how much to give. It was not done publicly so that anyone felt pressured or shamed into contributing. Rather they were sent home to consider and decide for themselves. I love this quiet privacy. It is the genuine touching of one’s heart by God’s prompting. We need to allow the time and solitude to enter in that we might hear Him clearly.
Something To Do
Exodus 36:7, “Their contributions were more than enough to complete the whole project.” Just as God provides all we need. I’m often guilty of not considering this often enough. I feel a lack and then re-read, Ephesians 1:3, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” And II Peter 1:3, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” Full and overflowing….more than enough!
My Takeaways:
First the blueprints now the work to get the job done. Each piece and part of this tabernacle points to Jesus Christ.
Something Old: Israelite got their wealth from the Egyptians. Recall how eager they were to get rid of their jewels and paid them off when they were leaving Egypt – interesting how it was put to use to build the tabernacle.
Something New: Amazing they had to be told to stop giving- I doubt that we will ever hear those words again. Exodus 36:6-7
Something To Do:
Do the Lord’s work with enthusiasm. Give joyfully. Remember God will always meet my needs.
L Kennedy, sorry for the late reply. Been really busy this week and now trying to catch up. But I so enjoyed your comments. Great perspective about the wealth being repurposed for God’s Glory. I hadn’t thought of it like that. Great insight!
I agree too about how amazing it was they had to be told to stop giving – wouldn’t that be wonderful if our churches could experience that today?