In this Psalm, we have the merging of the metaphorical and the real - the Psalmist is in a dry place, thirsty, and without drink. This mirrors the inner condition of the Psalmist who feels dry and weary on the inside as well. What is the instruction for those who would drink deeply and be refreshed? The Psalmist invites us to come, feast joyfully and drink deeply, at the table of God's love, which is better than life.

Hard things come and go in our lives all of the time. Sometimes, they come and stay. And most of the hard things in our lives we would never wish for or wish on others. But, what if in the hard things happening to us, God was doing something in us? What if our trials were transforming us from entitled to grateful people? Could this be why the Scriptures teach us to rejoice, even in the midst of our various trials? 

Pete Scazzero gives us four actions that make up the practice of Sabbath Rest: for one, 24-hour period of time we cease all forms of work - both paid and non-paid - in order to 1. Stop 2. Rest 3. Delight and 4. Contemplate. All of this is centered in the person and presence of God. Today, what might it look like to actively practice resting in God alone, who himself is our rest?

Our days are filled with a thousand potential irritations and stressors. What if the remedy for these stresses and anxieties was found in our proximity to beauty? To combat out sense of worry, anxiety, irritation, and stress, we re invited to slow down and embrace the practice of paying attention. Psalm 19 is our prayer of invitation that guides us into this practice today.  

There is a connection between the root system that gives life to trees and the rootedness of our own hearts in Christ. The decisions, habits, mindsets, and postures we embrace throughout our days constitute the source of our life, the direction of our roots. Where do I go to find life? Colossians 2v2-7 invites us to choose to be rooted and strengthened in Christ.

If I accomplish my to-do list but do not have love, what have I truly accomplish that will last? If I gain knowledge but do not grow in love, what have I really gained? What if our days were aimed at giving and receiving love from God and others, to become more patient, kind, and humble? To become less irritable, distrusting, and self-serving? What if today, right now, we slowed down and let the Spirit of God fill our hearts with the love of God?

Many are the plans in a person's heart. But the Lord, in the end, He's the one who directs our steps. Our plans and desires are connected. The more we plan on, count on something, the more we begin to desire it. With the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting stay-at-home order, our plans were fundamentally disrupted. So, our desires have been left unfulfilled. The Proverb gently teaches us that God holds our plans in his hands. So instead of setting our hearts on our plans, what if we walked in a posture of surrender, and set our hearts on God, who holds all things together? Let us respond to this invitation today - to make our home in the spacious and perfect sovereignty of God. 

Rejoicing, thanksgiving, testifying, and expressing praise to God is a spiritual discipline. It's a decision that takes practice, and deeply affects us. Choosing to praise, to name the ways God has been good to us, and expressing gratitude, even in the darkest valleys and most difficult days, lifting our voices in song as we express praise to God lifts our spirits and changes the posture of our hearts. In this way, joy is not merely circumstantial or a feeling. It is the fruit of the Spirit that is born when, through praise, we abide in Christ. 

Sabbath rest comes when we stop, pay attention, and be fully present to God, our place in the world, and the time we're in. It's so easy to have this sense that we're supposed to be somewhere else - that there's something more important, more significant somewhere else. Today, the invitation is to rest, delight, and be with God throughout the moments of this day of Sabbath rest. It may not be your formal Sabbath day. That's okay. Let Isaiah 43 bring comfort and rest to your heart and soul today.