The Bible says Jesus came to take up our burdens and give us rest. It was not a good idea. One of the most beautiful choral pieces for this verse’s setting is in Handel’s Messiah. It is given to the soprano soloist with beautiful string accompaniment. “Come unto Him, all ye who labor. Come unto Him all ye who are heavy laden. And He shall give you rest. Take His yoke upon you and learn of Him. For He is meek and lowly and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest for your souls.
It is not by chance, for nothing is with God, that He knows we need rest. After all, at the end of the creation cycle, he told us to take a Sabbath. It’s one of the Ten Commandments. It doesn’t mean that it has to be Saturday or Sunday, but God, who created us, knows that we need to rest from our physical, psychological, social, and all other labors and concerns. It seems to me that if God needed a rest and we need a rest, than we should follow this good advice.
Jesus changed the Sabbath up a bit. It is not a legalistic thing. He said He could heal on the Sabbath. He could minister to others on the Sabbath. It does not have to be a legalistic thing. Otherwise, those who “labor” to conduct worship services would be breaking the Sabbath! No, it means that when we’re planning our time, especially if we have hectic schedules, we need to provide rest for our souls and our bodies, even if we are “heavy laden” with responsibilities, family obligations, and rushing here and there the rest of the week. I find, even in retirement, that the “tired” part in that word still applies to me. I struggle to find “God alone” time in my days unless I seriously attempt to say, “God, I need a respite Sabbath.” And He refreshes my soul.
Lent is time to restore our souls. That’s why I wrote the Psalms and published the book. Today’s is “Sabbath” and I pray you’ll visit your local church and restore your soul today. If you’re local, I invite you to Covenant Church, Palm Bay where I guarantee you will worship Him in a Biblical community which sings praises, prays powerfully, and honors the Biblical truths which guide and direct our ministry, bringing strength, power, and comfort to our souls.
MY PSALM 305 SABBATH
With rejoicing we come, Dear Lord,
To Your Sabbath, a day set aside to worship
And to rest in Your Presence.
For at Your creation of the world
You accomplished magnificence and order,
And pronounced it good and rested on the seventh day.
We honor and bless Your Holy Name.
As Your people come together to worship,
Let us put aside all that would distract or detract,
Let us confess our sin, find Your cleansing power,
And know with assurance that You have made us
Righteous through the sacrifice of Your Son
Who redeemed creation from Satan’s snare.
Bless those who are persecuted for Your Name’s sake.
Bless those who serve You wherever they are,
Bringing Your message and love to the world,
To every tribe, every nation, every people, every tongue.
Make their sanctuaries places of praise and honor
Whether home, storefront, church, or cathedral,
Blessed places where two or many
Join to pray and worship Your Holy Name.
Where there is injustice, call Your church,
To champion those who serve You mightily.
Where there is prejudice,
Cleanse tongues and attitudes that all may live in peace.
Where there is tarnishing of Your message,
Guide through the Holy Spirit to set the record straight.
Where there is sin, convict
And bring repentance where there is no hope,
Let Your Son’s words and actions reign supreme. Amen.
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