Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

September 1
Sunday


A SLOWER PACE

READ:
exodus 20:8-11
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Six days you shall labor
and do all your work
but the seventh day
is the Sabbath of the
LORD your God. In it
you shall do no work.
__Exodus 20:9-10
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When writer Bruce Feiler was diagnosed with bone cancer in his thigh, he couldn't walk without some help for over a year. Learning to get around on crutches caused him to appreciate a slower pace of life. Feiler said, "The idea of slowing down became the number one lesson I learned from my experience."

After God's people were liberated from Egypt, He gave them a commandment that would cause them to slow down and view Him and the world "in pause." The fourth commandment introduced a dramatic contrast to the Israelites' slavery under Pharaoh when they had no break in their daily work routine.

The commandment insisted that God's people set aside one day a week to remember several important things: God's work in creation (Gen 2:2) their liberation from Egyptian bondage (Deut. 5:12-15), their relationship with God (6:4-6), and their need for personal refreshment (Exod. 31:12-18). This was not to be a day of laziness, but one where God's people acknowledged, worshiped, and rested in Him.

We too are called to slow down, to be refreshed physically, mentally, and emotionally, and to behold God in His good creation. __Marvin Williams

```````````Lord, I need spiritual and physical rest. Help me`````````````
```````````to deliberately take the time to spend with You.`````````````
```````````Please remove any obstacle that keeps me from`````````````
``````````````having a more balanced rhythm to my life.```````````````
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Living for God begins with resting in Him.

*************************Today's Bible Reading __ Exodus 20:8-11**************************

8 Remember the Sabbath
day, to keep it holy. 9 Six
days you shall labor and do
all your work, 10 but the
seventh day is teh Sabbath
of the LORD your God. In it
you shall do no work: you,
nor your son, nor your
daughter, nor your male
servant, nor your female
servant, nor your cattle, nor
your stranger who is within
your gates. 11 For in six
days the LORD made the
heavens and the earth, the
sea, and all that is in them,
and rested the seventh day.
therefore the LORD blessed
the Sabbath day and
hallowed it.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

In Exodus 20, the Israelites were given the Ten Commandments. This
event marked a significant transition for them as a people. With the
giving of the law and its consequent covenant between God and the
people, for the first time Israel ceased to be simply and extremely
large extended family and had become a national entity. The tribes
of Israel were the offspring of the 12 sons of Jacob (Israel) who had
greatly increased in number during the more than 400 years they
were held captive in Egypt.