Today Daily Devotional

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
— Matthew 11:28

Often Sunday nights are my least favorite time of the week. Though I enjoy my work, Monday morning means rising early to face a demanding new workweek. At times, however, those feelings of reluctance about the coming week remind me of the promise of the eternal Sabbath.In the context of our Bible reading for today, Jesus rebukes the Jewish religious leaders for taking a legalistic approach to daily living. They were critical of the way Jesus and his followers observed the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1-14), and those leaders thought they had all the answers about following the law and getting right with God.But it’s impossible for any of us to get right with God by trying to follow the law perfectly, and Jesus knew that. So he invites all who are weary and burdened to come to him, because he alone will give us true rest.Couched in Jesus’ invitation is his declaration that he is the only Savior. Only he has the power to give his followers rest from sin and from fruitless striving to please God. In short, Jesus himself is our true Sabbath. He promises us peace with God—true, lasting peace —and this is available for us now, wherever we are.Though it may seem as if we are forever facing challenges, we can count on Jesus to be our forever Sabbath. We can look forward to resting in God’s presence with all of his children eternally. Freed from pain, sorrow, and fear of death, we can worship God and enjoy him forever in Christ. 

Lord Jesus, Savior of all who come to you, help us to find our rest in you, now and always. Amen.

Early on the first day of the week…
— John 20:1

While I was growing up, there were certain things our family did not do on Sundays. We did not eat at restaurants, go shopping, or work in the yard, among other things. Occasionally we would go swimming on a Sunday, but only after sunset. Over the years, that definition of “keeping the Lord’s Day” has changed for many of our friends and family.The understanding of keeping the fourth commandment has changed since the people of Israel received it as well. The Israelites strictly and carefully (and often legalistically) observed their Sabbath on the seventh day of the week (Saturday). But after Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to heaven, the early Christians began to celebrate their Sabbath on the first day of the week (Sunday), calling it “the Lord’s Day” in celebration of Jesus’ rising from the grave.While observance of this day has varied in different times and places, a core element stands at the center of remembering and celebrating Jesus’ victory over sin and death: worship.Though we can and should worship God in everything we do, the New Testament emphasizes the importance of meeting weekly as Christ’s body to worship together— praising God, hearing his Word, sharing the sacraments, and fellowshiping with each other. Till Jesus returns, worship will remain at the heart of keeping the Lord’s Day. 

Lord Jesus, your resurrection frees us from sin and death and unites us as one body throughout the earth to worship and praise you when we gather together. Amen.

God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
— Genesis 2:3

On Friday night, after a long, busy workweek, it’s not unusual for me to fall into bed with a sense of relief. I am so ready for a rest!After creating the heavens and the earth, God gave us the example of taking a rest, and he blessed the seventh day of the week as holy. Does that mean God was exhausted like we can be at the end of a week of work? No, God has infinite power and energy; he doesn’t need rest as we do. God paused because he was finished creating. We are limited and finite in our power and energy, however, so we all need to rest from our work. To help us, God built into the rhythm of our world the gift of a day of physical and spiritual rest.Does God’s gift of a day of rest mean that we can use this rest for whatever purpose we like? No, at the very heart of taking a day of rest is the deliberate pause to confess that God is our Creator, sustainer, and provider. The fourth commandment reminds us that we depend on God to provide rest for us. However, if we use that day of rest merely for our own delight, we act as if the day belongs to us because we have earned it. When we honor God’s gift of rest as the commandment directs us to, we acknowledge that only in God do we find the rest we truly need.

Thank you, God, for the wonderful world you have made. Thank you also for the gift of weekly rest in our busy lives. Help us to trust in you as we honor your gift of rest. Amen.

Abraham said, “I swear it.”
— Genesis 21:24

An oath is a solemn promise or declaration of the truth. In Jesus’ day, it was common for people to offer oaths to add weight to their promises or statements. For example, people would claim to solemnly swear by “heaven,” “earth,” or “Jerusalem.” But depending on how their oaths were worded, they might or might not be binding. For instance, swearing by Jerusalem wasn’t necessarily binding, but swearing toward Jerusalem was binding. Jesus strongly denounced this deceptive approach, saying, “All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’” (Matthew 5:37).Does this mean that if you take an oath, calling on God’s name, you would violate the commandment against misusing God’s name? The simple answer is both “yes” and “no.” If you rashly say something like “I swear to God” or “As God is my witness” to a promise or a statement just for the sake of emphasis, that may indeed be a misuse of God’s name—especially if what you are stating is questionable or not even sincere. It’s different, though, with oaths taken in a court of law or in some other weighty situation. In cases like that, an oath can “promote truth and trustworthiness for God’s glory and for our neighbor’s good” (Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 101).In general, we need to take care that we honor God in all that we say, and we especially do so when we speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). 

Help us, Lord, to honor you by speaking the truth. And please forgive us when we fall short. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
— Exodus 3:14

In the third commandment, God teaches his people to revere his holy name, warning that they may not treat his name lightly. Over time, the Israelites took this command so seriously that they refrained from even saying God’s name aloud.As a result, whenever we read the name “LORD” in our English Bibles today, we are reading what the people of Israel said—Adonai, meaning “Lord” —in place of the name that God revealed to Moses: Yahweh, or “I AM WHO I AM.” The word “Lord” (Adonai) fittingly indicates “power,” “authority,” “influence,” and other important attributes of reverence for God’s name, showing respect for God’s ultimate place and authority over the whole universe.Today, many Christians boldly say aloud God’s name “Jehovah” (a rendition of Yahweh) because the opposite of taking God’s name lightly is to take it too seriously, as ancient Israel did. We need to acknowledge and confess God’s greatness and almighty power by properly expressing and honoring his name. Even better, we may respectfully and devotedly call God “Father,” as Jesus taught by his own example. Calling God “Father” not only acknowledges the Lord’s power and authority but also reveals God’s tender, loving care for us. We are God’s children, reconciled to him and adopted through the work of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. 

Father, thank you for making us your children through Jesus, your Son. Help us to live each day in devotion to you and with love for others. Amen.