By Mark Walz
I was at the pump this week and saw the price for regular unleaded, and I thought, ‘well this can’t be right! These are California prices.’ Everything sure does seem to cost more these days. Even the lady at the Chick-Fil-A drive thru said to me, “whoo, these prices are throwing me!” I am sure they are throwing you as well. It can be fear inducing, and it can also drive us into frenetic work and activity. I find myself in deep worry about the future and about the finances of my family. I begin asking questions. How much are groceries going to cost this trip? Do we need to make this drive across town, or can it wait? Are we going to be in real trouble down the road? What do we do?
We slow down and remember the sabbath. And the reason is the same reason the ancient Israelites were given the commandment in the first place; that they might remember from whom they receive all good things and not be drawn away from Him. We know that ultimately it is God who takes care of us. From the breath we breathe to the check we earn. If things get expensive, and those checks don’t cover as much as they used to, we are not to over extend ourselves or frenetically worry. All that does is serve to wear ourselves and our relationships out. And it can in the end lead us away from God; we end up serving Him or money. So, we must continue to trust in God and not forget who is our provider. The fourth commandment reads:
“Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God… (for) you were a slave… and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.” Deuteronomy 5:12-15
As we can see, the purpose of this commandment can be seen in the latter half; all that we accomplish and all that we receive from our labors is dependent upon God. He is the provider, not our might and not our outstretched hand. In these times, we must remember the sabbath and seek God even more diligently.