SCRIPTURE: Bear in mind that the Lord has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where they are on the seventh day; no one is to go out.” So the people rested on the seventh day. Exodus 16:29-30 NIV
THOUGHT: After Cain kills his brother Abel in a jealous brawl over whose offering is better, God tells him that the rich, wonderful soil will no longer grow anything for him. Now he will become a restless wanderer upon the earth, not rooted, not able to enjoy the fruit of his labor.
Contrast that with the God who tells his people the Sabbath is a gift from him for their enjoyment and rest. They don’t have to be restless or wanderers. They gather food each morning from the mysterious, fruitful ground. Manna, meaning “what is it?” And on the sixth day, there is enough to gather for the Sabbath too. Plus, in another mysterious grace, it won’t go bad like it does if they gather more than they need other days.
As I think about my own life, I ponder where I am on the scale between restless wanderer and Sabbath rest-er. Will I accept God’s rules for human flourishing, or will I pedal harder and faster to try to get life on my terms, arguing, like Cain, that my way is better than even God’s?
SONG: Restless https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuhYZrn4flo
PRAYER: Oh God, I want and need Sabbath rest. I want and need to trust you to provide my work and my daily bread, not the world, not what I can provide in my own restless strength. Forgive me when I forget that, sow gratitude in my heart for your mysterious and generous ways.
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Blogger Amy Clemens is the author of Walking When You’d Rather Fly: Meditations on Faith After the Fall. In it she explores childhood sexual abuse and how it impacted her faith (or lack thereof) for four decades. You’ll find not only her story, but better yet, the Big Story of God.
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