Monday, June 14, 2021

Isaiah 56:1-2

Isaiah 56:1-2 
  Sometimes, the commands of the Lord seem easy.  When we read them on the page, written in black and white, we think about how we can go and do these things.
  However, when we go out into the world, things often get far more complicated.  Life is messy in the real world, where right and wrong often seem far more like shades of grey.  Justice and righteousness aren't always clear, and it's easy to wonder if anyone is on the right side at the end of the day.
  It's interesting how these verses conclude.  They talk about justice and righteousness, and yet they end at the Sabbath.  Keeping the Sabbath is mentioned right next to keeping justice and pursuing righteousness.  Isn't that interesting?  
  In America, we've about given up on the Sabbath.  Youth sports have largely taken over the day, and where there is extra space, golf and errands and work have interfered.  Sunday has become just another day to try and get more things done, often trying to build our own little kingdoms.
  And yet God has commanded us to keep it holy, set aside a day for us to rest, to trust, to lean into God, to remember that it's not us holding the world together, but rather God holding us together.  
  So let's start with some sabbath time.  Maybe, just maybe, keeping the Sabbath, even if only for a few hours in the day, will have an impact on the rest of our lives, leading us to keep justice and do righteousness.  Start small, step out in faith, and God is able to do impossibly more than we ask or imagine.

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