Thursday, March 1, 2007

Daily Lectionary March 1 2007 First Thoughts

Deuteronomy 9:23-10:5; Hebrews 4:1-10; John 3:16-21

Rest in the Lord. John 3:16-19. 16"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 17"Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18Those who believe in him are not condemned…Overworked scripture? Indeed not! In this truth is our rest.

Our rest comes by faith alone in Christ alone, by the grace of God alone. Our rest comes in obedience to the holy laws and guidelines for life given to Moses and passed on to us, that would draw us to God and protect us from ourselves, but not condemn us anymore. Rest comes from assurance that Jesus has interceded for us when no one else could or would. Rest comes in hearing we are loved, no matter what. No matter when. For Israel, for you, for me. For all people, for all time. For today. God’s rest is for eternity.

As the writer of Hebrews beckons us: 3For we who have believed enter that rest… "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts." 8For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not speak later about another day. 9So then, a sabbath rest still remains for the people of God; 10for those who enter God's rest also cease from their labors as God did from his.

Rest in the Lord.

From being perfect.

From kicking and screaming through life.

From worry and anxiety.

From striving for more.

From discouragement and loneliness.

In sickness and in health.

From self-loathing,

From guilt.

From making your own way,

having your own way,

forgetting your way,

Rest in the Lord.

From the futile labor of saving ourselves,

of being good enough to enter in,

from wondering about our purpose.

Today, from disbelief in the power of Jesus to love us and save us and equip us and unite us,

may you rest in peace.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Your words encourage me because like the words of John 3, they are not overworked. You can be assured, I will never get tired of being told I am loved. The hope of being saved in this world and the next should give Christians peace.

I can lose sight of that truth in times of stumbling, but the words of John remind me that we are loved by God unto death, which he demonstrated on the cross.

The tendency to earn my keep with God just wears me out. It is a blessed relief to be reminded that he'll love me forever, just as I am.

There is a children's book that expresses it so well,"Love You Forever" by Robert Munsch. In it, the mother constantly whispers to her child as he sleeps: "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be."

The Holy Spirit whispers to us, his beloved, "As long as I'm living, my child you will be." God lives throughout eternity. His existance is forever. His love will never fail. In that we can rest.