WordLive - Year OneSample

Prepare: Reflect for a moment on how you are coming to God. Are you fearful of his disapproval or eager to show him your efforts? Ask God to simply reveal himself to you. Pleasing God If we’re honest we all find it difficult to understand what God requires of us. We know that God is great, powerful and holy – frankly it’s intimidating. We hope that we can please him with our lives. We are not so different from the Pharisees. They knew God was holy and awesome and they were eager to please him. But they did what is so tempting for us all: they tried to please God with their own efforts. Sabbath rest The Sabbath was given to humanity by God as a day of rest and peace. It reminds us that the world doesn’t revolve around us, that if we stop things won’t fall apart. It affirms our human need for rest and play. The Pharisees had turned this blessing into a set of rules that squeezed all the fun out of it. In their anxiety about pleasing God, they had forgotten that God gave humanity Sabbath rest for our good. Respond: Jesus delivers us from our striving, putting Sabbath into perspective. It’s not a way to gain brownie points with God but a gift reminding us of God’s care and all-sufficiency. It shouldn’t be about what we do or don’t do, but about what God has done, enabling us to stop and rest. Repent of your striving and receive God’s gift of rest today. http://www.wordlive.org/Session/Classic/2012-01-27