Remember the Sabbath!

Psalm 92

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, July 12.

The church in America is caught up in our 24/7 culture. Have we forgotten how to stop, to cease from our striving, or even to delay our compulsive need to consume or to produce so that we may delight in God and one another? Are we being stripped of our ability to manage our emotions, control our thoughts, delay our sensuality, and be civil in our conversations because we have forgotten the way to be at peace with God, ourselves, and the world around us? Billy Graham warned the church during his ministry, “I’m afraid we’re in danger of forgetting this commandment [Sabbath] today – but when we do, we pay a price both physically and spiritually. Instead, God loves us, and He wants to bless us by giving us rest and restoring our souls.”[1]

The antidote is simple – remember to live in the rhythms of God’s unforced grace, which includes honoring the Sabbath Day! Psalm 92’s title explains that this was the psalmist intent for writing today’s psalm, “A song for the Sabbath Day.” The purpose of having a set apart day is to cease from your unfinished labors to delight in the Lord’s finished work. The results of taking time each week to celebrate God’s creative intent and redemptive work are found in Psalm 92:12-15:

The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, he will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still yield fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap and very green, to declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

Seize the moment and pray Psalm 92, meditating upon the hard work of ceasing so that you may flourish (Hebrews 4:9-11). Take out your calendar right now and intentionally set apart a day each week to make space for grace to be God’s sufficiency in your life (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).

God bless you!

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YOUTUBE:

If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.

FOOTNOTE:

[1] Billy Graham. “Billy Graham’s Answer: What Is the Sabbath Really For?” Billy Graham Evangelistic