January 26, 2014 Sabbath, Genesis 19-21, Jeremiah 29, Restoration and God's Perfect Timing

PRAYER

Lord,

Today is the day I choose to rest in you. I choose not to take up concerns about the nation, the world, or next week. Today I simply want to breathe. I want my mind to rest and my soul to rest and my heart to rest. I want a break from all the stuff. Help me today to focus on the moment. Today I have time in your house. Let me focus on the worship and giving you my praise. Help me to focus on how worthy you are and how good you are. Help me to tune out everyone else and just pour myself into you.

 After church, I have time with my family. I know Sunday is usually seen as “my only day off”, but, Lord, it’s the day I have when I can focus on my family. Help me to really hear them and really see them. Help me to think of ways to show them I know they are gifts.

 Help me to rest from everything I can do nothing about today. Help me to lay it down and just enjoy today with no thought of tomorrow, just to enjoy the moment.

 Thank you for this Sabbath to rest in you and worship you. May you be glorified in me.

 Amen

 

BIBLE READING

Genesis 19—What a mess! It is really easy to look at Lot and wonder where his brain was. I mean, God was trying to get him out of there, and he was doing everything to stay. It’s always easier to see in other people’s lives. But how often do I stay in friendships, stay in commitments, or whatever when God is saying, “Get out! This is BAD!”? How often do people stay in jobs or even marriages long after they should have left because they can’t see past the walls or people around them? Yeah. Suddenly Lot doesn’t look so stupid. Suddenly Lot looks a lot like the person looking back at me from the mirror.

Genesis 20—I like how Abimelek “vindicated” Sarah and said in front of everyone, “This isn’t your fault.” Good man.

Genesis 21—A promised baby arrives.

A human fix was sent away.
A man of God was recognized.

MEMORIZATION

Working on finishing this up.

Jeremiah 29

10 This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place.
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.  I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

BIBLE STUDY/JOURNAL

In the Bible, the word “restore” means to return to the point of departure.

In Jeremiah 29:10-14, the Lord keeps saying, “I will bring you back to where you left.”

I will restore you.

Today the kids picked a movie to watch, and they picked the new one we have, “The Book of Daniel.” It started with a soliloquy of Daniel praying, and he quoted this scripture. It makes me wonder.

When we moved here, it felt as though the Lord said the days of loss and sorrow were over, that this was the new beginning. Then so many things happened that were so hard. It felt like all of last year was just hard.

Then at the beginning of this year, the Lord gave me a word for this year, but then He also told me to memorize this scripture, the whole passage. The whole passage isn’t the too often incorrectly applied great plans part. The whole passage is about restoration. When the time of punishment and correction are done, I will bring you back to this land.

The land was their inheritance. It was their promise of good things. It was more than that, though.

The land was their identity…as tribes of Judah, as God’s chosen people.

When the time of correction and discipline is over, I will come and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. Then you will call to me and come and pray to me. You will find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, and I will bring you back from captivity. I will set you free from the lies that hold you imprisoned. I will set you free from what keeps you from living all you truly were created to be.

I have to really just sit in this. Not only is the passage I have just memorized, but we’ve had that video over three months and just watched it today. The Lord leads my path. The timing of those two things are perfect in Him. I really just have to sit in this.