Psalm 27:1 (ESV)

The Lord is my light and my salvation;

whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life;

of whom shall I be afraid?

Explanation:

David, the author of this psalm, frequently found his life pressed upon by enemies, struggles, trials, and temptations. He expresses that God is the one he looks to in moments of confusion, doubt, and fear. It is YHWH (pronounced yah-way), his God, who would be the source of light, salvation, and protection when everything inside him told him to be afraid.

He calls God his light. Light is a source of comfort. Darkness brings confusion. You can’t be 100 percent sure what’s around you or where you are going when surrounded by darkness. But when light illuminates the surroundings, you can be more confident and comfortable with where you are and where you are going.

He calls God his salvation. Enemies constantly came against David, and in those circumstances, it can quickly look like there is no hope. But David believes that God will come through for him.

He calls God his stronghold. A stronghold is a fortress, a place that would be impenetrable from enemy attack. God’s presence is the place of refuge that David would run to when things got hard. In verse four of this psalm, David says that his greatest desire is to be in God’s presence.

Application:

1. What is one thing that stands out to you in today’s reading?

2. What do you run to when things get difficult? Do you run to God, like David? Or do you run to something else you hope will make you feel better or protected in the moment?

3. How have the difficult things you have faced showed you God’s faithfulness? If you have never had the opportunity to trust God in the process, ask Him how He wants you to respond to the hard situation you are in. Be obedient, and see Him come through for you.

Prayer Prompt:

Father, when things get scary or overwhelming, I have to confess that I don’t always run to You first. But I see in today’s psalm that You offer comfort, hope, and security in times when those things seem far from me. Help me to run to Your presence and trust Your mighty hand in my life. You are LORD, and You can protect me.

Devo Plus:

For further study read, read the entirety of Psalm 27 and Matthew 10:28-31.

Psalm 111:10 (ESV)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!

Explanation:

A clear marker of a genuine relationship with the Lord is one that operates from an understanding that God is holy, and His works are holy. To think of God as any less than holy would rob Him and our hearts of the reverence He deserves. This reverence is a type of fear…not a fear that drives one to hide in a cave, but a fear that drives one to be under the great tutelage of a Master at work.

Imagine the most well-respected, most talented, most wise, most well-versed or experienced individual in an area of your passion. This person carries with them a great reverence because of what they have accomplished. This is at a human level what it is like to fear the Lord in the way that King David speaks about in today’s reading. God, with all of His power, wisdom, might, and love (just to name a few), is the Master of our lives. A fear of God is the chief, foundational understanding because it fuels how we relate to God. There is nothing holier than God. This understanding can lead our hearts to respect and admire God, and in turn, desire to want to be near Him, know Him more, love Him more, and live for Him more.

Application:

1. How do you see this fear playing out in your own life?

2. Why is it wise to have this understanding of God?

3. What does a life that fears God look in comparison to a life that does not?

4. How does one gain this type of fear of God?

Prayer Prompt:

Lord, I want to fear You in this way. I want it to drive my life because You are worthy of my reverence and respect. There is no one above You who deserves this type of fear. Like King David, I want to praise You for who You are and all You have done.

Devo Plus:

Read Proverbs 9:10. What can be gained by increasing your knowledge of who God is?

Hebrews 4:1-11 (ESV)

Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said,

“As I swore in my wrath,

‘They shall not enter my rest,’”

although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.” And again in this passage he said,

“They shall not enter my rest.”

Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted,

“Today, if you hear his voice,

do not harden your hearts.”

For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.

Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.

Explanation:

God wants us to experience His rest. But He begins this passage with a warning and reminder to us all. The people of God who had escaped Egypt never got to experience that rest because they had unbelief and did not live in obedience. They didn’t get to experience the rest God had to offer because they did not allow Him to guide their lives. But we can experience that rest, by believing and walking in obedience. By doing our part, trusting and walking in His ways, we can know that He will take care of us…and that is where we truly find our rest.

It isn’t a physical rest, but a spiritual rest. On this journey through life, following God can be tiring and difficult at times, but Jesus offers us rest (peace) in the middle of it all. The rest we experience through Christ is found in His grace. It is a confidence in knowing He is going to take care of us and be with us as we walk out in obedience. While we live on this earth, we can look to Jesus to give us rest for our souls, grace for our lives, and help for the journey. And one day, we will get to experience that final rest when we reach eternity.

Application:

1. What do you typically think of when you hear the word rest?

2. What do you think of when you hear the term spiritual rest?

3. What are some ways you can find a spiritual rest in Jesus?

4. Are there any thoughts or actions you need to change in order to find the spiritual rest that God offers?

Prayer Prompt:

God, I want to experience the rest that You have for my life. Help me to walk in obedience and to live my life the way You have called me, so I can rest in Your truth, in Your promises, in Your plan. I know that to truly find rest I need to trust You, give my life to you, and allow You to move in ways that only You can. I know this rest is not like the one the world offers, but it is so much better. Help me today to find this rest in You, so I may experience Your rest here on earth until the day I get to experience that final rest when I meet you face to face in eternity. In Christ’s name we pray, amen.

Devo Plus:

Check out 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 to remind you of the true rest that awaits us once we finish our time here on earth.

Matthew 12: 9-14 (ESV)

He went on from there and entered their synagogue. And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse him. He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.

Explanation:

In our culture today, this may seem like a strange interaction that Jesus is having with the Pharisees (Jewish religious leaders). The Son of God walks into a synagogue and performs a miraculous healing, and everyone rejoices and praises God. However, there is more to the sto-ry than a man being healed from a deformed hand. The Pharisees were more interested in ob-serving the law of not working on the Sabbath (the fourth commandment), than the man being healed. Jesus came to fulfill the law (Matthew 5:17) and accomplish taking our sin to the cross. Jesus was more concerned with how humans were treating one another, showing mercy and the transformation of their hearts. He healed this man because it was a necessity of love and compassion.

This same account in Mark 3:5 actually says, “Jesus looked around angry and grieved at the hardness of their heart.” It saddened Jesus that man could get so caught up in the burden of certain religious practices and “showing how good they are,” that doing the right thing was no longer an option. Jesus demonstrated that the Sabbath was important (because rest is some-thing everyone needs), but giving someone a chance to be in relationship with Jesus was the most important thing. He was not going to let this opportunity for healing be delayed because the Pharisees considered healing on the Sabbath to be work. Yet all Jesus did was say the words “Stretch out your hand” and the man was healed. This angered the Pharisees, because in their minds, this went against the law they had practiced for centuries. Jesus’s actions were not what they believed the Messiah would do, so this gave them an opportunity to go to the high counsel and have Jesus arrested.

Application:

1. God wants our hearts. He wants you to give up what is keeping you from Him, to lay down selfish desires and pride, and trust Him to work in your life.

2. Do you ever find yourself getting caught up in the busyness of church life, but forget-ting why you volunteered in the first place? If so, ask Jesus for forgiveness, and get back into your routine of seeking Him first.

3. Is the Sabbath important to you? Do you take time for rest? If not, what steps can you begin to do to give yourself that needed time of rest?

4. How do you feel when you are in God’s presence? Have you ever missed that oppor-tunity to praise Him?

Prayer Prompt:

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your healing words. Continue to speak life into my situ-ations and help me seek You more. I want to get rid of distractions in my life, and see You in the times when it is difficult for me. Help me to love others as You see them, and recognize to do good when You have placed me in a situation.

Devo Plus:

Read Mark 3:1-6. Think how you would react if you saw a man being healed by Jesus.

Ezekiel 20:12-21 (ESV)

Moreover, I gave them my Sabbaths, as a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them. But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not walk in my statutes but rejected my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live; and my Sabbaths they greatly profaned.

“Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them in the wilderness, to make a full end of them. But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out. Moreover, I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land that I had given them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most glorious of all lands, because they rejected my rules and did not walk in my statutes, and profaned my Sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols. Nevertheless, my eye spared them, and I did not destroy them or make a full end of them in the wilderness.

“And I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, nor keep their rules, nor defile yourselves with their idols. I am the Lord your God; walk in my statutes, and be careful to obey my rules, and keep my Sabbaths holy that they may be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.’ But the children rebelled against me. They did not walk in my statutes and were not careful to obey my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live; they profaned my Sabbaths.

Explanation:

Ezekiel is addressing the nation of Israel, and recounting God’s goodness and grace with them, in spite of their disobedience. Israel was once again plagued by idol worship. They had forsaken faithfulness to their relationship with God, of which the Sabbath was a central piece. Lamar Eugene Cooper says it this way: “The observance of the Sabbath was a constantly recurring acknowledgment of God as Creator of the universe. It would be an open denial of God for an Israelite to desecrate the Sabbath.” ( Ezekiel vol. 17; The New American Commentary; Nashville: Broadman Holman Publishers, 1994)

For Israel, the Sabbath was given as an opportunity to trust God and depend on Him for their provision, protection, and even their abundance. Israel’s rejection of the Sabbath was a failure to truly trust that God would come through for them.

Application:

1. What is one thing that stands out to you in today’s passage?

2. Would taking a day off be a challenge to you?

3. What would need to change in your life to allow a Sabbath day to be a sign between you and God? (A representation in your life of God being your provider)

Prayer Prompt:

Father, slowing down and stopping is hard because we want to work hard, and we want to be responsible. But at times, that desire transfers from faithfulness to attempts to be self-reliant. We want to provide for ourselves and be our own masters, yet our lives would be so much fuller if we trusted You. Help us to trust that You will fill any gaps that stopping will create in our lives. You are my provision, my protection, and my abundance...

Devo Plus:

Watch the Bible Projects video on the Sabbath

We can all recall that time in our lives, waiting patiently as the names of each school were announced over the radio waves. School closed due to snowy conditions was what got me excited as a middle school student. I grew up in a rural community, the only child of two working parents, and my nearest friend was not within walking distance from my house. So, a snow day meant I could lay around in my pajamas and do nothing all day long. It was the kind of day most kids look forward to all winter, a day to just take a break and enjoy something outside of their school routine. On some of these snow days, the only heat came from our roaring fireplace, so I was confined to the living room if I wanted to stay warm. Our living room was in the front of our house, facing the road with a large yard in between, and had large picture windows. From the fireplace hearth, I had a great view of the blowing snow and not a care in the world.

Do you ever wish you could go back to feeling the excitement of a snow day? Luckily for me, I still can. I am blessed to work in education, and will admit the 5:00 AM call that school is canceled puts a huge smile on my sleepy face. Some days I choose to get a few extra hours of sleep, while others I make myself a cup of coffee and watch the sun rise. Get dressed? Maybe. Take a nap? Of course! A whole day is upon me to rest, relax, and re-energize myself. The following day, school will resume and more people will be just like me. Refreshed and ready for what the new day will bring.

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” (Exodus 20:8-11)

These words make me question myself. Why have I not been following God’s fourth commandment? It’s so easy to sit by the fireplace on a winter’s day and refresh your soul, read your Bible, or give your silent prayers to God. I have good intentions to devote my Sunday to honor God, but as a working parent that is such a struggle. I need to start saying “no” to the grocery shopping, errands, and activities so I can say “yes” to restoring my spirit as commanded. It will be a challenge, one that I will struggle with. I know many of you reading this have your own struggles with keeping the Sabbath holy. I pray for the strength I will need to make the necessary changes to my routines.

As I write this, today is Sunday. I went to church, listened to worship music, and returned home. I put on my comfortable clothes and will now refresh my spirit to honor God. Having a day like this, every week, should excite and renew your soul. I hope you will join me in honoring the Sabbath.

Mark 2:23-28 The Message (MSG)

One Sabbath day he was walking through a field of ripe grain. As his disciples made a path, they pulled off heads of grain. The Pharisees told on them to Jesus: “Look, your disciples are breaking Sabbath rules!” Jesus said, “Really? Haven’t you ever read what David did when he was hungry, along with those who were with him? How he entered the sanctuary and ate fresh bread off the altar, with the Chief Priest Abiathar right there watching—holy bread that no one but priests were allowed to eat—and handed it out to his companions?” Then Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made to serve us; we weren’t made to serve the Sabbath.”

Explanation:

By the time Jesus took on earthly form and walked the earth, the Jews had rules upon rules for those who served the true God. Their rules formed their identity, and became the standard for judging themselves and others. Rules without relationship are weighty and burdensome, and Jesus wanted them to understand the heart of the Father and to be free from rules that had morphed into bondage. In today’s passage, we see a window into a moment with Jesus as the Pharisees are trying to navigate the rules versus the gift.

Yes, we have rules from the heart of God, but there is always freedom with the rules. An example of a rule designed by love for us is that we are not to commit adultery. Adultery has never worked out well, as it destroys relationships, families, trust, and livelihoods. It always leaves devastation in its wake. To be told not to do it by God means He knows these realities and wants to spare us the pain, loss, and hurt. There is total love behind the rule.

He is never trying to deprive us; He is always trying to spare us.

The same with honoring the Sabbath. The Sabbath was a day set apart every week for worship and rest.

Jesus knows our limits, and knows we are hard wired to need rest and spiritual rejuvenation. In our passage today, He emphasizes the goodness of this principle, in that if we honor it…we receive the benefits.

Through obedience, God helps us get done in six days what it would normally take seven days to do. What a gift!

Application:

1. What excess in your life prohibits a Sabbath rhythm to your week? As you meditate on this, allow God to reveal what to say no to, so you can say yes to Sabbath rest.

2. Because the heart behind the Sabbath is for your rest and recharging, what would have to change IN your heart for you to receive this gift? Are you addicted to busy? Are you convinced it is your strength and power that produces the best results? Do you lack the faith to submit your schedule to God?

3. The Sabbath wasn’t created for selfish indulgence. It was created for nourishment for our souls combined with rest for our bodies. Trust God and try His idea. Stress is ruining families’ relationships and bodies, and God has a remedy. He gave us the Sabbath for replenishing our souls, soothing our minds, and resting our bodies.

4. Practically speaking, what does one day set aside for worship and rest actually look like? Ask God for the answer.

5. Don’t fall prey to the arrogance of “too busy to stop.” Fatigue and exhaustion are tools the enemy of your soul will utilize against you. God’s plan of Sabbath translates into a sustainable, flourishing life!

Prayer Prompts:

In Psalm 51, when David realized his heart wasn’t aligned with God’s, he prayed a very simple prayer that spoke volumes of surrender and submission and restarted his direction. “Create in me a clean heart Oh God, and renew a right spirit within me.” When we pray the same, He begins the work.

Devo Plus:

Ephesians 4:24

Since we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything—and I do mean everything—connected with that old way of life has to go. It’s rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces His character in you.

Deuteronomy 5:12-15 (ESV)

Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore, the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

Explanation:

Rest. Today’s scripture emphasizes the importance of resting. In a world of careers where productivity is king, we often forgot the value of rest. God made us in His image, and deliberately rested on the seventh day. God didn’t get tired—He was modeling behavior for us to follow. He stopped His own productivity in the name of rest.

Did you know that “rest” is an area where modern science agrees with scripture? The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health reported stress levels at an all-time high in work scenarios, and health care expenses are nearly 50% higher for people who report that they fall into the “high stress” category. Stress caused by constantly being pushed to produce and sacrifice rest has been shown to reduce your immunity.

Implementing a Sabbath and taking time away from the productivity drive results in HIGHER productivity, better mental focus, and creative thinking. God knew that we would be in stressful situations even when He created the world, and the command to rest is just another example of His great love for us. He wants us to be at our best and to live life abundantly—obey His commandment, and live by His example!

Application:

1. Do you have a “Sabbath” that you observe where you are intentional to disconnect from work and the necessity to “produce”? If you don’t, this is a great time to implement one.

Prayer Prompt:

Ask God to help you honor His command for a Sabbath. Ask for help being intentional about your schedule and setting aside time for rest. If you haven’t been honoring the Sabbath, ask Him for help in creating a day that is dedicated to rest.

Devo Plus:

Read Isaiah 40:30-31, Romans 12:2, and 2 Corinthians 5:17 to learn how God helps us when we are tired.

Genesis 2:1-3 (ESV)

Thus, the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So, God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

Explanation:

Take notice of the language that is used when the seventh day, the Sabbath, is described in today’s reading. God called this day holy (sacred), so holy that God Himself, who did not need any rest, took the time to model for us the value of this day. When God declares that something is holy, we mustn’t just look past it. Although every day has value and purpose, the Sabbath is set apart for a special purpose. To keep the Sabbath day is a command, and like all commands, it accomplishes two primary outcomes. The first is to develop a trusting relationship with the Father. And second, it blesses our lives to live it out. Although rest is not a need for God, it is vital for us. God knew this and made a way for it to happen. The Sabbath gives us permission to rest. It is a caring Father saying, “You look exhausted, go rest!” If you have ever worked incredibly hard at something, you know how rewarding it is at the end of it to just rest.

Well, the Sabbath is so much better than even that, because it includes spiritual elements as well that refresh our souls. Without the Sabbath as a part of our weekly rhythm, we will become run down, burnt out, weakened, over-stressed, and ultimately ineffective in fully living out life the way God designed it to be lived.

Application:

1. How does knowing that the Sabbath is considered “holy” to God change how you view the Sabbath in your life?

2. Why do you think God needed to give us permission to take the Sabbath?

3. When was the last time you truly set aside a day as your Sabbath?

Prayer Prompt:

Father God, I want to take the Sabbath seriously in my life. I realize this will require trust on my part, but I trust if You said it is “holy” for me to do it, then I want to make it a priority in my life. Thank You for giving me permission to rest in You.

Devo Plus:

Write down all the reasons that typically keep you from taking a rest. One by one, surrender them to God, and tell Him you want to trust Him in these things.

Acts 20:32-35

And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’

Explanation:

When considering today’s reading, it seems necessary to define what “more blessed” looks like for us. There are certainly some perks to being on the receiving side of any form of generosity. When it comes to assessing value, it seems counterintuitive to say that when you give something away, namely money or resources, the value of your life actually increases. However, if you are familiar with any of Jesus’s teachings or views on life, you know that Jesus does not view things as most view them. Jesus’s views, which are spoken with full knowledge of what man’s true heart, desires, and needs are, give us a much truer measure of what it means to be “more blessed.” The Apostle Paul, who wrote today’s passage, also had come to see this truth in his own life. There are many reasons why it is more blessed to give than receive, but the primary reason is that it enriches your relationship with God. I know this may not make sense at first, because primarily you are giving to others and not God, but giving to others does several incredible things.

First and foremost, as Christians, our relationship with God is most important, and anything we can do to enrich that relationship is exactly what we should do. Giving anything is a cost on our part, and giving to others, especially sacrificially, develops a deeper trust in God to take care of our needs. This is the best place to operate out of, because whatever God gives is far better than any earthly possession we hope to find life in. The more we operate like Jesus, the more the Spirit in us overflows with the love and joy of God. This is what fulfills the cravings of life that we want to so often fill by focusing on our own needs. By giving more than receiving, we get to show Christ’s love and joy to others around us, which profoundly blesses and enriches their lives as well. There is no greater joy than loving God and loving others.

Application:

1. Describe a time when you were blessed by giving.

2. How does giving to others model for them the love of Christ and heart of God?

3. Why do we want to show Christ’s love to others through our giving?

4. How has God been generous in giving to you?

5. What are some ways that you can be more giving in your life, and in turn more blessed?

Prayer Prompt:

Jesus, I thank You for being the ultimate example of generosity. My heart struggles at times to see the blessing in giving, so I ask that You show me not only the blessing of giving, but also who I can give to. I need You also to show me how and what to give. I trust You to be with me through it all, which is the best gift of all.

Devo Plus:

Write down the name of someone you would like to give to, and how you would like to start blessing their life. Surrender it to God and trust in Him to make a way.