Scripture
24“‘But if you obey me, says the Lord, and do not carry on your trade at the gates or work on the Sabbath day, and if you keep it holy, 25then kings and their officials will go in and out of these gates forever. There will always be a descendant of David sitting on the throne here in Jerusalem. Kings and their officials will always ride in and out among the people of Judah in chariots and on horses, and this city will remain forever. 26And from all around Jerusalem, from the towns of Judah and Benjamin, from the western foothills and the hill country and the Negev, the people will come with their burnt offerings and sacrifices. They will bring their grain offerings, frankincense, and thanksgiving offerings to the Lord’s Temple. Jeremiah 17:24-26
Observation
If we can’t take one day a week and give it to the Lord then our work has become our idol and we think too highly of ourselves. This is the message the prophet Jeremiah is speaking to the people of Israel on behalf of the Lord. People were taking advantage of the fact that there was less business competition on Sabbath and so as a consequence were making a lot more money. This just makes good sense right? Sabbath is about surrender. Would the people of Israel trust God to be their provision even when it wasn’t a logical business strategy? Look at the promise of Sabbath provision: Influence, reputation, growth, stability, success. Notice that keeping the Sabbath holy brings blessing fiscally, physically, politically, relationally, and spiritually. A Sabbath day is a way to say “no” to the rhythms of this world and the idol of money and to say “yes” to trusting God’s very best!
Application
Though I have often caught myself grumbling that I can’t eat Chick-Fil-A ("The Lord's Chicken") after services on Sunday, I’m always even more thankful for a company in this secular culture that puts Christ first. According to Business Insider: "Chick-fil-A is achieving sales numbers no other chicken chain in the industry can top — and it's doing it with one fewer day of the week to work with. The chicken chain is famous for its policy of closing on Sunday. Even locations in airports and sports stadiums remain closed on Sunday, despite the massive number of travelers and hungry football fans seeking fried-chicken sandwiches. "Closing our business on Sunday, the Lord's Day, is our way of honoring God and showing our loyalty to Him," Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy writes in his book "Eat Mor Chikin: Inspire More People." Cathy continues: "My brother Ben and I closed our first restaurant on the first Sunday after we opened in 1946, and my children have committed to closing our restaurants on Sundays long after I'm gone. I believe God honors our decision and sets before us unexpected opportunities to do greater work for Him because of our loyalty." The president of Franchise Times, a guy named John Hamburger, I kid you not, points out the counterintuitive benefit of being closed on Sundays, "Being open six days a week provides benefits to both the operators and the customers," Hamburger said. "The owner operator gets the time off. Closed on Sunday conveys a sense of caring and community to the customers. Being private means they can do the right thing, not the expedient Wall Street way of doing things.” By saying no to people pleasing, obligations and commitments God hasn’t called us to we can say Yes to the new life he has for us and the blessing He wants to release to us. AJ Swoboda writes in his book Subversive Sabbath: “The Sabbath straightens up our spirits and awakens us from the lull of the eternal yes. Therefore, a no is the language of intuition. No one accidentally says no these days. “ Even though a no creates margins, a no feels unnatural or the opposite of what we would normally do. Have you said no to someone today? This past week? It means saying no to good things to say yes to God things and it’s going to hurt. Your first Sabbaths could feel very awkward, almost painful- because saying no involves entering the pruning process . Yet, just yesterday I was reading through John 15 before church and Jesus remained me, 1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful…5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:1-2,5
Prayer
Sabbath reminds me that apart from You, I can do nothing. Jesus, Lord of the Sabbath, You are my source of provision. My gifts, my strength, my strategies, my reputation, my plans can all become idol’s I lean on instead of you. Every Sabbath I’m reminded to lay these back down at Your feet, to invite you to prune what does not belong, and to embrace Your counterintuitive approach to business, relationships, and life. Forgive for thinking too highly of myself and not thinking highly enough of You! I choose to say “no” to the “works” mentality of religions so I can say “yes” to Your invitation to daily conversation.
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