Throw In The Trowel.

At the start of Bronx Bethany's forty-day period of prayer and fasting, there were a few days where the wind chill caused our local temperatures to feel as if they were well below zero degrees Fahrenheit. Although it was bitterly cold, a small group of people braved the weather and came to church for prayer during that time. On a frigid Tuesday evening, as Pastor Martha shared from Isaiah 58, Pastor Sam heard from God: It was not just a Scripture passage for the handful of people present to hear. It was a word to be shared with the entire congregation.

We are blessed to have pastors that obey God's promptings. This past Sunday was the fourth in our series on prayer and fasting, and our senior pastor focused on Isaiah 58:13-14.

The thirteenth verse begins: "If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath...". We are called to be intentional in our efforts to avoid the attitudes and actions that constitute Sabbath-breaking. The verse goes into some detail concerning the things we are to avoid:

• "doing as you please on My holy day";
• "going your own way";
• "doing as you please";
• "speaking idle words".

I have wondered about the double emphasis of "doing as you please", and perhaps the answer lies in Genesis chapter 11. Pastor Sam referenced the Tower of Babel incident (Genesis 11:1-9), in which the people decided that they would do as they pleased: build a tower in Shinar (Babylonia). Their reason for constructing a tower that would reach the heavens? "So that we may make a name for ourselves."

Apparently, the people's way to make a name for themselves was to make an icon of exaltation, encroaching upon the territory in which only the name of God was exalted.

That was a long time ago... and that was twenty-four hours ago... and that is right now. We're still trying to build Babel.

We live in a world where we continue to attempt self-exaltation by making inroads into God's territory, seeking to erase His great name and replace it with our own. And, the brick and mortar of our efforts is this act of doing what we please: resting on our own laurels, and making up our own life-rules, in defiance of God's desire for us to rest in Him and obey His word.

Today is a good day to avoid doing as we please.
Today is a good day to embrace Sabbath-keeping.

Lord God, help us! We are surrounded by messages that tell us to abandon rest and to rush through our lives, building systems and social mores that fly in the face of Your love and truth. Today we lay down our bricks and mortar. Why should we build a frail structure when You have already set forth a glorious kingdom? Give us grace to hear and obey You. Give us grace to rest in You.