| Good Morning Everyone, Our theme for this month: “Stay strong” Our Bible verse for today: “You will be delivered by returning and resting; your strength will lie in quiet confidence.” Isaiah 30:15 (CSB) Our thought for today: “Stop the furious flapping” The other day I read a magazine article written by Christian recording artist Sandra McCracken. In the article she told the story of a time she was sitting on the porch of a cabin in Vermont with some friends, drinking coffee and working on lyrics for a new song. As she was sitting there enjoying the view, she noticed a humming bird feeding at the bird feeder. It occurred to her what an amazing creature the humming bird is. Its wings move at more than 50 beats per second but at the same time, it appears perfectly still. It hovers in midair like a helicopter. In my mind’s eye I could visualize that humming bird at the feeder, hovering in midair, appearing to be relaxed and at peace as it was drawing needed nourishment from the feeder. But all the while, its wings were furiously flapping at over 50 beats per second. As I was enjoying that mental image of God’s marvelous creation of the amazing hummingbird, it occurred to me that I’m not a humming bird. I can’t be furiously flapping my wings while at the same time calmly and peacefully drawing spiritual nourishment from my Lord. If I want to be renewed, refreshed, nourished and strengthened, I need to actually stop all the flapping and truly be still. That’s what God was saying to the nation of Israel through the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 30:15. He wanted them to come to Him and just rest so they could be renewed and strengthened. But they wouldn’t. They wouldn’t stop all their flapping. I didn’t actually quote the entire verse when I cited it above. In its entirety it reads, “For the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said: ‘You will be delivered by returning and resting; your strength will lie in quiet confidence. But you are not willing.” “But you are not willing.” That was them – and that’s also us. We’re not willing. Instead of truly honoring Sabbath by worshiping, resting, and renewing, we often continue our furious flapping. Oh, we may not be flapping for the sake of our job, but we do so for a hundred other reasons like yardwork, chores, paying bills, etc. Whatever the activity we’re engaged in instead, if we aren’t spending time resting in the Lord then we aren’t truly resting and renewing – not in the spiritual way that God wants us to. I encourage all of us to honor the Sabbath as God commanded. Maybe your schedule doesn’t allow for you to always worship, rest, and renew on Sunday. Mine doesn’t. As a Pastor Sunday is the busiest workday of the week for me. I do get to worship but I don’t get to rest. So, my Sabbath is on Monday. But the day of the week is less important than is the fact of resting and renewing in the Lord. Resting in the Lord renews our strength. I encourage you not to skip it. Stop all the furious flapping long enough to be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10). God bless, Pastor Jim |
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