A Song for the Sabbath day (Psalm 92)
As you can tell from the title, the focus of this devotion is not on a particular verse but the inspiration for the verses — in this case, a psalm devoted to Shabbat. To appreciate the psalm, it is important to understand the purpose and function of the weekly Shabbat; it is a time to cease work and desist from all tasks and duties that fill the rest of our week. Understanding that this day was first instituted by the Creator after He had completed His work, let us consider the practical application: working seven days a week, nonstop, is unsustainable. The person who does this is going to burn out eventually and, in some cases, might find themselves unable to work at all.
Beyond the practical application, however, is the spiritual aspect — i.e. opportunity for communion and fellowship with the Creator. Every day of our lives should be devoted to serving the Almighty, but lets’ face it; life makes it difficult to give Him our full attention when other responsibilities are constantly pulling at us, requiring our energy and attention. I would argue that the Creator knew this would be the way of it, and understanding our limitations as humans, dedicated a day in which we could pivot from common pursuits to things with eternal ramifications. In short, He gave us a day to commune with Him without all the interference of normal daily life.
Unfortunately, most of us don’t live in a society that is conducive to what Shabbat is all about and so, to enjoy the benefits of the Sabbath, requires that we make some decisions. Do we go with the flow and customs of the culture or do we decide to surrender to God’s purposes and enjoy what He has ordained? The bottom line is this: if we are going to experience the inherent blessing of Shabbat, then we must pause our pursuit of other things which is, admittedly, a difficult proposition for some. However, if we are willing to put Him to the test and do what is pleasing to Him, we will find that we will not lack in anything. To the contrary, we will find that resting in Him renders greater rewards than we could ever imagine.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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