Wilderness Wanderings

For seven days celebrate the festival to the Lord your God at the place the Lord will choose. For the Lord your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete (Deuteronomy 16:15). Let's spend more time reflecting on Israelite feasting as prescribed by the Lord. Would such feasting benefit us today? I think it would help us connect our work and our worship. First though, let us consider the paper trail our money leaves. For many, payment for work done is deposited directly into our bank accounts. Once there, we pay our bills right from our phones. We make donations to the church and to other charities through a variety of apps. The truth is that we have become disconnected from the fruit of our labours. We don't hold it. Few even see it in the form of a cheque. Technically, paper trails are a thing of the past. The disconnect from our income, spending and giving increases the difficulty of recognizing our work as worship. Celebrations could help. Emotionally, celebrations would give occasions to stop and enjoy the goodness of God in our careers. It would give us a place to celebrate good work well done. Promotions, bonuses, new jobs and retirement would be cause for joy in the community recognizing such things as gifts from God. It would help us recognize that these things ought to be offered up to God in worship and need to be stewarded well for the glory of his name and growth of his kingdom. Ethically, such celebrations would give us space to train ourselves to relate well to our income, our coworkers and the poor. Our excess would bless our community and cause delight for others. Feasting, which is not a solo event, would give us a way of responding joyfully to bonuses, raises and promotions. It would create a link between our economic and spiritual lives. We could see the joy on the faces of the people we bless. Theologically, the discipline of celebration gives us a meaningful way to connect our material resources to God's provision and presence. Without feasting we forget; we easily begin to think that bonuses and promotions and raises are the result of our own diligence, hard work, brilliance or good fortune. When our resources are the result of our hard work, then we get to decide where our money goes. We need ways to remember that God calls us to steward his resources. Celebration is a legitimate form of stewarding God's possessions Now you say, that was before Christ. Does this apply to Christians? Let me say that Jesus was certainly not opposed to a good celebration. He had a knack for ensuring they didn't fizzle out. He also regularly compared his kingdom to a good feast. And in 2 Corinthians 9, Paul writes about the joy others will expression because of the gifts from the Corinthian congregation, ending with, "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" Good celebrations will give us avenues to thank God for his physical and spiritual gifts. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: Wherever God takes you this week, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.

For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord; I sing for joy at what your hands have done. How great are your works, Lord, how profound your thoughts! Senseless people do not know, fools do not understand… (Psalm 92:4-6). These verses make me wonder if we aren't all a little senseless and maybe more than a little foolish. I'm thinking about Christians. Often, when we read such verses, we rarely wonder if we are in this category. After all, who wants to think of themselves as senseless and foolish? But let's take a moment to consider if we ought not to start with ourselves. As mentioned last Friday, this is a Sabbath Psalm. Our reflections on rest must include the creation story with which the Bible begins. In the pause between the two accounts of God creating the cosmos, we find the Creator resting. Was he tired? Was he exhausted from his creating out of nothing? Did he need a little nap? No God followers have seriously considered an affirmative answer to these questions. The consensus is that God took time to delight in his creative work. With the Heidelberg Catechism, we confess that God "out of nothing created heaven and earth and everything in them, and still upholds and rules them by his eternal counsel and providence" (A 26). However, this upholding and ruling does not require the kind of grinding work and attention many of us are accustomed to in today's economy. God could rest and enjoy; creation did not fall apart. Caring for his creation does not overtax him. He has more than enough energy and lots to spare. Therefore, with the Catechism we also believe that this Creator "is my God and Father because of Christ his Son. I trust him that he will provide whatever I need for body and soul… He is able to do this because he is almighty God; he desires to do this because he is a faithful Father." These are some of the deeds that make his people glad. They cause us to sing for joy. When we pay attention, we discover how profound God is. But here is the rub, many of us are too foolish and too senseless to pay attention. We miss Sabbath because our noses are always pressed against the grindstone. We have not paid attention to who our God is. He is not just creator, but also provider. In Christ, he is our father. Moreover, he sends the rain and the sun on all people. God invites us to be like him: to rest, to delight, to step away from the grindstone of work in a sin filled world. Enjoy him. Sing to him. If you cannot do it on Sundays, find other times. Trust him. He loves you and cares for you. Let's leave behind our senseless and foolish ways. As you journey on, receive Jesus' invitation into this rest: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).

When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the Lord, the God of Israel, they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the families and said, "Let us help you build…" But Zerubbabel, Joshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel answered, "You have no part with us in building a temple to our God..." Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building (Ezra 4:1-4). There is opposition to the kingdom of God. Israel had returned from her exile in Babylon and begun to rebuild God's temple. Immediately, enemies appear. This is normal. When Abram arrived in the land of promise, famine struck. When the Israelites got too numerous in Egypt, Pharaoh enslaved and killed them. All through their journey in the wilderness, they faced struggle and opposition. When Jesus was born, there was an immediate threat on his life. The post-Pentecost church encountered persecution before she had time to catch her breath. For generations, western civilization has been directed by people who by and large got their guidance from the Christian scriptures. In that cultural space the church grew lax, and church leaders exercised significant influence and even power in the public sphere. Generally, it was easy to be a Christian. Christians are now in the minority, and the church has lost her moral authority. In fact, by her own doing, the church has largely become suspect. Like in the days of Zerubbabel, we face extensive, sustained and somewhat organized opposition. This will not go away. Jesus himself told us that in this world we would face trouble (John 16:33). We haven't taken him seriously. Thus, many Christians are unsure how to live in this new reality. So how should we respond? The returned exiles offer us a warning. People came to them offering help. What they really wanted was control and influence. They were folks who worshipped multiple gods and were inviting the returned Jews to compliment their worship of God by adding a few deities. Zerubbabel would not budge. We need a renewed call in the church to the Lordship of Christ, to living each day under the influence of his kingdom. A question: have you spend anytime in personal confession recently? Confession is about discerning the ways in which we do not live according to God's Word. If we don't take time for it, can we really say that we desire to worship God alone? When Jesus spoke to his disciples about having trouble in this world, he also encouraged them with this, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). When we face opposition, we do not need to respond in anger or with fear. Rather, we ought to ask Jesus to let his peace invade our hearts, so that we can respond with love and gentleness. We do not have to be afraid of the world because in the end, only Jesus' kingdom will remain. And that kingdom comes in small acts of love and kindness by his followers. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.

For seven days celebrate the festival to the Lord your God at the place the Lord will choose. For the Lord your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete (Deuteronomy 16:15). Let us spend another week reflecting on Israelite feasting. We considered the emotional and ethical benefits of celebration. Today, let us reflect on the theological benefits—how did these feasts shape Israel's relationship with God? God is host. The gathering is at his invitation, and it is celebrated "to the Lord". He is the focus of the celebration. Why was this important? Israel's economy originated from God; it was sustained by him, and it was for him. These celebrations were a specific occasion for the Israelite workers, farmers, business folk and others to recognize that God was worthy of harvest praise because he was blessing his people with abundance. Having settled in the promised land, Israel was faced with two temptations. God's people face these same impulses today. First, that our wealth is the result of our own hard work; and second, that we have received our resources from some other source. Giving in to the first temptation results in pride and likely a selfish use of our wealth – "I made it, I get to use it as I see fit." The second impulse breeds a desire to keep the source of our wealth happy so that the money keeps flowing our way. This, of course, is the same as the idolatry Israel struggled with throughout the Old Testament. Feasting in the presence of God was Israel's method of directing hearts and hands toward the Lord. It also kept them from looking back to the economy of Egypt which was directed by Pharoah. There was no feasting in Egypt, as least, not for Israel. Harvest celebrations reminded Israel of her true master, the Lord God. He was generous. In many Christian communities, celebrations are frowned upon as frivolous. We act like the disciples when the woman anoints Jesus with perfume. "What a waste," they say, "it should have been used to help the poor" (Mark 14). But Jesus commends her. Celebration of God's good provisions is a healthy spiritual practice. As you live out this week, consider the material things God has blessed you with. Certainly, you may share them with the poor. But also consider how you will celebrate publicly the blessings God has given. Next time you plan a family feast, are there others that you should invite so that they can share in the harvest God has given you? Consider also how might the church develop the discipline of celebration. In what ways can we celebrate the wondrous redemption that God offers us in Christ Jesus? As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: Wherever God takes you this week, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.

It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night, to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp (Psalm 92:1-3). In the NIV Bible on my desk, this psalm is prefaced with, "A song for the Sabbath Day." Among God's people in the Old Testament, this psalm was the Sabbath psalm. As such, it ought to linger in the imagination of God's people today to help us into a better Sabbath understanding. Among Christians, there are two dominate approaches to the Sabbath. In the first, we attempt to recreate as much of the Old Testament structure of the seventh day as we can. We do as little physical exertion as possible, refuse to buy and sell, and take a rest from making money. Anyone who does not make concerted effort towards this is deemed less spiritual. The challenge is that such commands were instituted through Moses for a society that was homogeneous. Everyone followed the same rule book. Since we do not live in monolithic communities, to recreate this is not possible. So, we tend to create our own rule books of Sabbath restrictions. The second approach is to ignore Sabbath completely. Such Christians may gather for communal worship on Sundays but otherwise give little consideration to what Sabbath keeping was meant to offer us. In both approaches, the teaching on Sabbath in Exodus and Deuteronomy is central and shapes how we understand the teachings regarding rest throughout scripture. What would happen if we allowed such passages as Psalm 92 to shape our practice of Sabbath? I suggest that it might deepen our appreciation of God's Sabbath intentions. This Psalm lifts our eyes. It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night. This illustrates a central problem with focusing solely on one day of the week. We cannot become Sabbath people by putting all the emphasis on Sunday. The Sabbath day was designed as both a goal and a launching pad. The goal was a life of praise to God 24/7. To work towards that goal, a day of rest from income earning labour was instituted for Israel. If we never cease working, we will become people who believe that survival depends on our capabilities. The more we work the more our eyes are turned downward. Sabbath is God's invitation to turn our eyes upward; to see him and to know him as the creator, sustainer and redeemer of this world and of our lives. Have a look at your calendar. Put some slots in there for lifting your eyes towards God; time to pay attention to him. If this is new for you, start small. Notice what rhythms and attitudes of your heart begin to change. As you journey on, receive Jesus' invitation into this rest: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).

With praise and thanksgiving, they sang to the Lord: "He is good; his love toward Israel endures forever." And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy" (Ezra 3:11-12). "God is good, all the time; all the time, God is good." Many of us have declared this. But some of us may not use it very well, that is, we only use it when we have experienced something which we consider good. For example: when someone is in a car accident but unhurt and the insurance payout is good. Or when someone loses a job but quickly gets a better one. Or when cancer treatments are successful so that the doctor declares 'cancer free.' Or when we think we failed a test, but the teacher gives us a B+. It's vastly more difficult to say, 'God is good,' after the doctor says there is no more treatment, or the accident results in permanent injury, or the job lose results in extended unemployment, or the test result is a D-. So, this raises an important question: is God only good some of the time? Does God take time off from being good? Of course, he doesn't. "God is good all the time." This is what the Israelites were declaring as they rejoiced and cried together. They had returned from exile, cleaned up some of the rubble in Jerusalem and begun to rebuild the temple. When the foundation had been laid, they paused to give praise to God. They created a such a loud noise it could be heard for miles around. However, people heard both crying and rejoicing. The older folks had seen the temple that Solomon had built. This new one wasn't going to be anything as grand as the old one. They recognized that Israel had been reduced to little more than a stump of the tree it had once been. The new temple was symptomatic of that. Yet, they declared, God is good. Why? Because God's love endures forever. Those older folks new this better than the young. They were the ones who had seen Israel's sin, and they knew that the exile had been a result of this sin. Israel had done it to herself. God should have given up on them. But he hadn't. He had moved Cyrus to let Israel return to her own land, the land God had given them. God's goodness was seen in his faithfulness despite Israel's sin. God was and is good. They saw it in this new Jewish community centred in the temple. God's goodness enables us to endure downturns. It is important to praise God, to declare that God is good, even when life is not. When we don't feel like it, praise becomes an act of faith. It's a declaration that God will see us through the darkness. And at times it is also a declaration that God will see us or a loved one through the vale of death. Jesus is our shepherd even then. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.

Celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing floor and your winepress. Be joyful at your festival—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites, the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns (Deuteronomy 16:13-14). Last Monday, we reflected on the discipline of celebration to which God invited his newly freed people. We considered the emotional benefits of this worship practice. Today, let's explore the ethical benefits of Israel's feasting. These dinners focus attention on the food resting on the table, but also on the coworkers, neighbours and others gathered around it. The instructions read, "Be joyful at your festival—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites, the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns." Many of us learn things best when we practice them. God was training his people into a new kind of economy, very different from that of Egypt. That was one of scarcity. There was not enough to go around. The Israelites, being slaves, certainly always got the leftovers, if there were any. But now these folks were to look around the table and understand that the purpose of there work was not their own profits, nor their own personal enrichment and security. The purpose of their labour is the flourishing of the whole community. The work of their hands would be blessed, and their joy would be complete, if their profits caused the community to flourish, and specifically, the vulnerable and the marginalized of that community. This celebration liturgy was training the landowners to see these others within the economy of God. These things were learned not by the preaching of the priest, nor the lecturing of the ethics professor. Rather, it was practiced as they saw, tasted, smelled and passed around the fruit of their labours. Since there were foreigners, it is very possible that there were language barriers, but sharing the produce of the farm, built community and countered individualism. Justice was tasted. By sharing their table, God's people reached beyond the borders of race, ethnicity, class and gender. Obviously, we do not have such meals today. In fact, our practice of donations leans in the opposite direction. It separates giver from receiver. Giver and receiver rarely meet. God would have us change that, to offer gifts face to face. And to rejoice in the giving and receiving. Communities flourish when people know each other. We need to find ways to interact. For example, the Out of the Cold BBQs our church hosts during the summer offer times of interaction. Volunteering at Helping Hands or Neighbour 2 Neighbour are other venues to break social barriers. Jesus was known for eating with all sorts, accused of being a glutton and drunk. It was one of the things that led to his crucifixion. Still, we are to follow his example. How can you sit at table with other people? How can we share the bounty God has given us so that the community flourishes economically and socially? How can we celebrate together the good gifts of God? As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: Wherever God takes you this week, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is Mark 14:1-11; John 18:33-37. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube.  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca Dive In! What have you seen this week that is 'Out of this World'? Think of things you saw on social media reels and in real life. What are the three scenes in today's reading from Mark? How does Jesus understand his anointing? Who do you have a difficult time being merciful to? How does Jesus' kingdom grow? What does Paul say the cross brings to this world? What kind of people in your life do you find it difficult to be friends with? What are you not willing to sacrifice for the sake of the kingdom?

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving (Ephesians 5:3-4). This is quite the list of impurities that Christians may get themselves involved in. Since, this Friday edition of Wilderness Wanderings focuses on rest and Sabbath, let us focus our attention on greed. James explores how greed destroys community. He writes, "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God" (4:1-2). Peter offers a further warning when he writes about false prophets (think preachers), "With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood!" (2 Peter 2:14). There are many other such warnings in the New Testament, combining a variety of things we lust for. When we do not cut off such lusts at their root, they cause us to treat everything (and eventually everyone) as tradable commodities. Think of the pornography industry. More difficult to discern is how the accumulation of wealth by some, harms other people. Our society, like that of ancient Israel and like that of the early church, is one in which the accumulation of stuff (and people who do stuff for us) is rewarded. Success is still often measured by how much we have. This, despite all the evidence that this way of life does not sooth the restless heart. Many of our desires are artificial, conjured up by advertisement executives and by social media reels. Things we have not thought about possessing, suddenly become urgent needs. Greed permeates the very fabric of our common life. How should Christians, called to be salt and light in the world, resist the urges of greed that arise in our hearts? Our text offers us a very simple method: thanksgiving. Sabbath keeping has always been the way towards thanksgiving. Consider the two reasons given for it. In Exodus, we are told to remember that God rested from his work, reminding us that survival in this world is not dependent on our abilities. In Deuteronomy, we are to remember that we are people rescued by God. The goal of Sabbath keeping is to develop our dependence on God by refraining to do things that tempt us towards self-dependence. We come before God and give him thanks. Many commentators believe that when Paul wrote, "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18), he was not addressing the individual Christian but the worshipping community. Whereas there is room for collective grief and lament, the underlying and enduring tones of worship are joy and hope in the Lord. To give thanks and to rejoice in the Lord are the primary means to uproot greed. As you journey on, receive Jesus' invitation into this rest: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).

Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices (Ezra 3:3). How do you start a new chapter in life? This is the question occupying the Jews returning from Babylon. They were few; their land was in rubbles, occupied by wild animals, weeds and foreigners. How should they begin the rebuild? They began with the altar, their place and means of prayer. Prayer came first. Even before the temple, they needed the altar. On that altar they offered their sacrifices of confession, of thanksgiving, of praise. What's interesting is that Cyrus had sent them home to build a temple. Such a structure would bring prestige and financial benefit to him. He was not really interested in Israel's God, certainly not in worshipping that God. He recognized that a flourishing Jewish community in Judea would be beneficial for him. That was his interest. But when the Israelites returned, they built the altar first and renewed the sacrifices which God had commanded, morning and evening. God was first. Their concern was to honor God in the manner that was pleasing to him. Several times in this chapter the author tells us, "They followed the instructions God had given to Moses". All of that came before the temple. The temple was not necessary. The altar was. Prayer first. We can learn from these Israelites. We do not need an altar. Jesus told us that true worshippers, worship in spirit and in truth. And all who come to the father in his name will be received. "A broken and contrite heart, you, God, will not despise" (Psalm 51:17), wrote David. That is how these returning Israelites approached God. We can too. Also, they rebuilt the altar despite being afraid of the people around them. They were afraid of enemies who greatly outnumbered them. And they were afraid opposition would entice them into compromise. But the altar was the place from which they could pray for God to protect them from their enemies. Here, they could ask God to purify their hearts; to help them in their obedience. Fear drove them to their knees. The altar with its morning and evening sacrifices was a reminder that God was with them. Centuries prior, he had said, "For the generations to come this burnt offering is to be made regularly…before the Lord. There I will meet you and speak to you; there also I will meet with the Israelites, and the place will be consecrated by my glory" (Ex. 38:42-43). This altar is no longer with us. It has been replaced by Christ himself. When we turn to him, we are in the presence of God. Turning to him, is always the first step. Its all that is needed in the face of fear. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.

Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year…you and your household shall eat in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice. And do not neglect the Levites living in your towns…At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year's produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites…and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands" (Deuteronomy 14:23ff). We are far removed from the agricultural society of ancient Israel in which folks brought the produce of their farms to the tabernacle and the temple. This text has been used to promote the notion that Christians should give a ten percent tithe to the church. But that is likely a misuse since, in 2 Corinthians 8 & 9 and 1 Timothy 6, the New Testament offers different principles for giving. What we ought to consider in this text is the nature of the worship God invites Israel into. For lack of better language, God wants his people to hold a party in his honour. We might compare it to a family thanksgiving dinner to which all relatives are invited. Let's not gloss over that provision is made for the temple workers and a host of others who don't have their own resources. It's a grand, lavish, generous party. Celebration is not a spiritual discipline many of us are familiar with. Our culture is dominated by self-serious productivity and efficiency. Christianity often follows this ethos. Certainly, there is value in productivity and in efficiency. But take a moment to imagine how Israel received this news. They had been slaves for generations. They had never had excess. They had never had resources or time to party. But now, God invites them into a new reality—a reality in which he would provide for them. This provision would be lavish—flowing with milk and honey—lavish enough that they would have time and resources to throw a rather large celebration, rejoicing in the life-giving economy of their God. Later, he will say, "Be joyful at your festival...For the LORD your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete" (16:14–15). Consider the emotional benefits of this worship practice. As they worked, his people knew that God wanted them to enjoy the goodness of their Lord and to taste the flavour of good work well done. It reminded them that they should delight in their work. So different from Egypt. God delights in work that is both free and festive. Imagine the anticipation of these freed slaves as they consider having enough produce to share lavishly with others. As you begin a new week, take delight in your activity, whether its income earning work or not. The resources God gives you are to be enjoyed and shared. 2 Corinthians 9, which is all about generous giving, ends with this verse, "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" (15). This reminds Christians that our joy and thanksgiving is rooted in the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. Our God is generous in spiritual and material gifts. So, let's not be dour Christians. Let us rejoice. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: Wherever God takes you this week, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is Psalm 2. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube.  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca Dive In! Why do people take selfies? Have you heard the expression, "My truth?" What do you think it means? Why do people use it? Psalm 1 & 2 both use the Hebrew word for meditation. What does meditation mean? What two very different things are being meditated on in these Psalms? The nations are gathering against God's anointed. What New Testament event illustrates this? (see Acts 4 à this psalm is quoted in verse 25-26). Why did Pastor Michael mention the commandment to "obey our parents"? Do you agree with him? God responds to the conspiracy of the nations in two ways. What are they? What should we do to nurture our faith in God's rule? What is verse 7 about? What must the church do while we wait for Christ's rule to be complete? Pastor Michael suggested four ways in which we might respond to this psalm. What were they? Can you think of others?

Then [Jesus] said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot" (Luke 12:15). John Calvin wrote, "The human heart is a perpetual idol factory". Long before that, humans recognized that we have a built in need to worship something or someone. The 10 commandments are arranged around this need. The first three commandments challenge us to worship God well. That is no easy feat, for even our worship of God can become a matter of idolatry. When churches divide over the songs sung in worship, the instruments used to accompany singing, the colour of the carpet in the narthex—these divisions are often matters of idolatry, summed up in the simple phrase, "I want." The last six commandments direct us in loving our neighbour well. What keeps us from loving our neighbour well? Isn't it idolatry again? When money or sex or personal protection or pleasure become more important than our neighbour, we steal and lie and commit adultery and covet. "I want" becomes more important than either God or neighbour. This is what Jesus is addressing in his simple statement in our text, "Be on your guard against all kinds of greed". The greedy man in Jesus' parable is a huge success in his own eyes; but contrary to his own estimate, he is destined for death in his self-deceiving foolishness. Shortly, Jesus will tell his disciples, "Do not be anxious" (22). Do not worry about goods. The implication is that a lifestyle of gathering and than hoarding possessions leaves us anxious because we simply do not have enough; we always need more. We worship what we want. A non gathering, non anxious lifestyle is rooted in confidence that God provides what is needed as we redeploy our energy towards striving for his kingdom (31). Jesus invites us into a different, an alternative lifestyle from the Jones' around us. Jesus recognizes that we do not get out of bed one morning and think to ourselves, "Today, I will be greedy." Greed has a way of entering stealthily through the backroom window when we are not paying attention. We go about our daily routines, buying and selling, discipling our children, volunteering at schools, churches and mission agencies. As we go about doing all these good activities, we notice things we would like to possess. And desire grows. The antidote to greed lies right smack in between these two parts of the 10 commandments. It is that strange one about Sabbath. God invites us into a regular rhythm in which we cease from accumulating. It's a time to give our heads a shake, to clear the fog, so that we can see the idols that have crept in through that back window. These idols are drawing our energy away from loving God and neighbour. Jesus said, "Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot." So, what defines your life? As you journey on, receive Jesus' invitation into this rest: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).

The whole company numbered 42,360… (Ezra 2:64). Does that pique your curiosity? Do you want more information? This does not seem like much of a text for a devotional, "The whole company numbered 42, 360..." Stay with me for a moment. The book of Ezra is concerned with telling how the people of Israel returned to Jerusalem from the Babylonian captivity to rebuild the temple of God. The story recounts the challenges this community faced in the return and the rebuilding project. One of the first challenges was to ensure that those returning were descendants of Abraham and Sarah. Ezra 2 is a list of names of those who could trace their ancestry back. The list includes only men and totals 28,529. Add some women and children and the total Israelite returnees are 42,630. But why highlight this? Well, for two reasons. First, it tells us that God is true to his word. God had warned Israel that if they walked away from him, he would return the favour. If his people insisted on rejecting him, he would reject them. Moses warns, "The Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the Lord will drive you" (Deuteronomy 4:27). God fulfilled this warning. Israel insisted on worshipping other gods. And so, the Lord scattered them, only, 42 630 people returned. How decimated was Israel? When they entered the land under Joshua, the number of men was 601 730 (Numbers 26:44). From 600 000 men to 28, 500. That's a huge reduction. This brings us to the second reason for paying attention to this abysmally small number of returnees. Humanly speaking, Israel doesn't have a chance. The task before her is too large, the obstacles too insurmountable. But that is the point. It reminds us of something that keeps happening in the biblical story. Folks like Sarah, Hannah and Elizabeth were barren when they became pregnant with important people. The apostles had had no formal education, and yet they had the courage, wits and intellect to go head-to-head with the best of the Jewish establishment. You see, God can take nothing and make something wonderful out of it. This is something the church always needs to remember. God does not need large numbers or highly skilled people. Israel returned from Babylon greatly deduced in every way. Yet, she was still God's people. God still used her to accomplish his purposes. Jesus said to his disciples that he will build his church. And he has. You may not have much to offer God. But that doesn't matter. He can still use you for his kingdom. Trust him. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.

"The Lord brought us out of Egypt…He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey; and now I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you, Lord, have given me" (Deuteronomy 26:8-9). Our text is part of the worship that God's people began to practice once they were settled in the promised land. Take some time to read the whole chapter. There are lessons of faith to be learned from these ancient worship practices. These rituals reminded God's people of their spiritual past but also of their economic past. Standing before the Lord, they recite a prayer recalling that Abraham was a "wandering Aramean" who had no land to work. They recall that their forefathers in Egypt were subjected to "harsh labour," that they "cried out to the Lord," who "heard our voice and saw our misery" and "brought us out of Egypt." This prayer shaped Israel in several ways. First, the land on which they lived and which many of them farmed was a gift, not a possession. Without God's intervention, they would be landless, wandering, and unemployed like their forefathers. This intervention impacted their economy in every way. How would it shape our lives if we remembered that all that we have belongs to God? And that he considers us valued stewards. Second, when God's people are oppressed, subjected to hard labour, or woefully underemployed, they can cry out to God as his people did in Egypt. We are still tempted to believe that God has little investment in our economy. But that is not true. God continually cared about Israel's economy and many of Jesus parables concerned economic matters. God is deeply concerned about our physical wellbeing and about our attitude towards wealth. Third, we serve a God who hears, sees, and responds to these vocational cries. Here, we are pressed to consider the shallowness of our faith. We use the phrase, "prayer works," when we get the answer that we are praying for. But faith implies believing things about God even when we cannot see them. Faith is made real when we continue to trust in God even when the answer to our prayers appears to be silence. Fourth, these ancient prayers teach us that our profits ultimately come from neither the fruitfulness of nature nor the power of our hands alone. There is another actor in the economic equation. The fruits of our labour ultimately come from the continued action and intervention of God in our world and economy. We need to be formed so that we approach work as good and valuable but also, more importantly, to offer our work up as an instrument of worship and praise. Such prayers and offerings guide us into an economy of gratitude, to both God and neighbour. Profits should lead to praise. In times of wealth, gratitude is one of the first emotions to evaporate. The liturgy hinders that erosion. Offering our work to God, whether it be small or great by human standards, draws us into patterns and postures of gratitude, dependence and humility. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: Wherever God takes you this week, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.

"Among my people are the wicked who lie in wait like men who snare birds and like those who set traps to catch people. Like cages full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; they have become rich and powerful and have grown fat and sleek. Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not seek justice. They do not promote the case of the fatherless; they do not defend the just cause of the poor (Jeremiah 5:26-28). What Jeremiah reveals is unsettling. The wicked are not merely stumbling in the dark. They are hunters. Patient. Calculating. They "set traps", catching people, not animals. Their houses swell with gain, like cages crowded with stolen life. It is not chaotic evil. It is organized, profitable, even respectable. Thus, dangerous. This passage was about Israel, so the church must see it as a mirror held up to our hearts. Sin in us is productive. We are capable of building systems, habits, and even reputations that quietly feed on injustice. The heart is a perpetual factory of idols. Here, we see one of its darker assembly lines: exploitation dressed up as success. Jeremiah accuses, "They do not defend the cause of the fatherless… they do not uphold the rights of the needy." This is not merely about personal morality but covenantal failure. God's people were called to reflect His character, and God's character bends toward the vulnerable. To ignore them is not a small oversight. It is a denial of the God they claim to know. This is still true of God's people today. So, these words invite examination. How do we benefit from unjust systems? Where might comfort have dulled our concern for the vulnerable? Sin often works like a quiet accountant, balancing our books to look legitimate while quietly erasing the poor from the ledger. But Christ came to give life, to all. Where traps are set, He is the One who was trapped in our place. At the cross, Jesus steps into the machinery of injustice and lets it crush Him, only to rise and break it open from the inside. The One who perfectly upheld the cause of the needy now gives His righteousness to those who have failed to do so, even us. What should we do? First, repent. Not vague regret, but a clear-eyed turning from the ways we have ignored, benefited from, or participated in injustice. Second, look for the Spirit's renewal. In Christ, we are not left as we were. The Spirit reshapes us so that we begin, however imperfectly, to reflect God's own heart. This is what Sabbath is for. As we pay attention to God, he shows us what cages need to be opened, what traps need to be dismantled so that the overlooked become visible. Sabbath helps us trust in God and pursue justice for our neighbour. As you journey on, receive Jesus' invitation into this rest: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing: "This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: "'The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them (Ezra 1:1-3). The Bible is God's self-revelation meaning it's about him, not us. We tend to read scripture to fill our needs, looking for something relevant. God meets us in specific ways, yet we must remember that in Scripture God is revealing himself to us. The Bible is for us, but about God. The book of Psalms was likely arranged in the days of the return from Babylon. The psalter ends with a concern for God's kingdom: "Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations" (145:13). The returning exiles may have sung these songs as they made their way back to Jerusalem. The story of Israel's return to Judah begins with "the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia". Here is a clear example of God of standing above all human kings and kingdoms. Israel as a nation had been crushed, her people exported or killed, her cities and buildings reduced to rubble, her land given to foreigners. From a human perspective, Israel was dead. But now God moves the heart of king Cyrus, who proceeds to write a proclamation that all Jews who desire to return home may do so to rebuild the temple of God. How curious is that? The most powerful person in the region is moved by God to have God's temple rebuilt. Not only that, but as the Jews pack up their belongings, their neighbours are to load them up with "gold and silver, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem" (4). Not only will the temple be rebuilt, but foreigners will cover the cost. We often say that God is sovereign, reigning over the nations. Here we see it. The temple did not spring up overnight. It took years of setbacks and political intrigue. But the story is told to encourage future generations of God followers that God is sovereign. Earlier, Daniel, while reading Jeremiah, discovered that the exile was to last 70 years. In response, Daniel prays. He confesses Israel's sins, asks God to forgive and for God's own sake, to do something (cf. Daniel 9). So here is the mystery of God's sovereignty: our prayers are part of it. Sometimes we say, "God will do what God will do", or some variation of that. But that is not quite right. God's sovereignty includes our prayers. We participate in some manner. The world may seem mad to us; unstable. But God is in control. He moves the hearts of kings, bending them to accomplish his purposes. And he calls his people to pray. Pray with hope! As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is John 20:11-23. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube.  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca 1.    What do you do when you are afraid? What frightens you about living as a Christian? 2.    How did Jesus respond to the disciples' fear on the first Easter? Does that encourage you? 3.    What mission does the church have? How do we learn about that mission? What keeps us from carrying it out? How does Jesus encourage his disciples? 4.    Jesus blesses his disciples as he sends them out. How does this combined blessing and sending work itself out today? 5.    Read the story of Mary again. With what kind of emotion do you think she went to the disciples? How does joy of Easter arrive in us? 6.    What is central to the mission of the church? How can we keep it in clear focus? 7.    What gift does Jesus leave with his disciples? Does that encourage you?

I lift you high in praise, my God, O my King! and I'll bless your name into eternity. I'll bless you every day and keep it up from now to eternity (Psalm 145:1,2). Many of us think that repetition and memorization are for the birds. We don't want to put the work into memorization and we get bored easily. Yet, God's people have long observed that developing our spiritual selves is significantly aided by both repetition and memorization. Consider Psalm 145, an acrostic. In its original language, the poem had twenty-two lines; each line beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This was done to aid in the work of memorizing the song. I wonder how long it took the composer to put this all together. It was put together to be learned, even memorized. Things we memorize shape our thinking and character. As such, this psalm invites us to seriously contemplate a life given to praising God. Such a life does not come naturally. There are barriers, the biggest one being ourselves. I suspect that sloth is one of the more significant stumbling blocks. We don't talk much about spiritual sloth these days; we probably should. We want our spiritual growth to happen like making coffee with a Keurig machine: stick in pod and press button. But the thing is, spiritual growth is more like making coffee from scratch; I mean from scratch: plant the seeds, tend the plants, harvest the beans, roast them, grind them, etc. Spiritual maturity takes time and effort. The move from selfishness to unbridled praise of God does not happen instantaneously or without sustained effort. As an aid against sloth, let me suggest this: for one month read or sing or pray this Psalm in the morning and again in the evening, each day. Who knows, by the end you might have it memorized. After a month, you may find this beneficial enough to choose a different psalm. Praising God is more than silent prayers. It impacts how we work and how we entertain ourselves. It influences our spending habits and how we relate with friends and strangers.  But do we really think that God is worthy of our praise? The praise of God is rooted in His character. As you read through the Psalm, note what it says about God. Often, we think that God is only concerned with "His people" or with "saving souls". Here we are reminded that God is concerned for everything that He has made. Is our Christian witness hampered because we don't care enough for "everything" God has made? Is our selfish way of living hindering our witness? Many of our evangelistic methods begin with calling people to be introspective. We want them to acknowledge their sinfulness. What if we began with God? What if we invited people to consider our God? If God is concerned with His creation, should Christians not care as well? Invitations to join us in caring, can be a way of opening spiritual conversations. Someone once wrote, "If Christians praised God more, the world would doubt Him less." (Due to the Holy Weekend of Good Friday and Easter, Wilderness Wanderings will return next Wednesday). As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.

Count off seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain. Then celebrate the Festival of Weeks to the Lord your God by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the Lord your God has given you. And rejoice before the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites in your towns, and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows living among you (Deuteronomy 16:9-11). Let's take another look at worship services in ancient Israel. When you enter your worship space, what do you hold in your hands? Possibly a leaflet handed to you by an usher. If you are a parent, you might hold you child's squirming hand, so she doesn't run off to visit with a friend. In contrast, the Israelite worshipper had their hands full of their work. Along with fellow workers and family members, they brought into God's holy presence the fruit of their labour. They had spent months selecting and preparing it. No one came empty handed before God. Further, it was not the priest, but the worker who initiated and designed worship. The bulk of the worship was not the spiritual insight of the priest, nor the songs composed by unknown artists, but the physical work of the laborer. Worship was not prepared and then consumer by the worshipper but prepared at home and brought along. Worship was initiated by the laity when the material for worship was ready. If the harvest was late, worship was late. The worker came to stand in the presence of God, therefore, the offering needed to be of such quality the worker felt comfortable with. It was not one size fits all. Each time of year brought unique offerings and the amount depended on income level. Further, wine, oil and bread—the merging of God's creational gifts and human craftsmanship—were all to be brought into worship. God's creation was developed, molded, transformed, glorified by human labour. While at worship, Israel was reminded that creation is good and that human craftsmanship is good. And combined, they are worthy of being offered to God. Through these rituals, the farmer was formed not only to approach work as good and valuable but also, more importantly, to offer that work up as worship and praise. The liturgy guided them into an economy of gratitude. In response to God's economic blessing, they gave him thanks and shared with those in need. Worship developed patterns and postures of gratitude, dependence and humility in God's people. We obviously should not try this at home. But how will we form habits of gratitude? Do we offer up the best of our labours to God in worship? How do we offer our daily living to God? Will you come to worship in thanksgiving for both the physical blessings and the spiritual blessings in Christ? What changes do you need to make so that you come to communal worship not grumbling and not haphazardly but to give thanks? Think about these things this week. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: Wherever God takes you today (this week), may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is Galatians 6:8-10; Luke 19:32-46. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube.  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca DIVE IN! When was it difficult for you to keep doing good? Think of other situations where it takes real effort to keep doing good? What is the Greek word for "good" used in verse 9? What are some of its characteristics? Where else do we find this word used in the New Testament? How does Jesus' entry into Jerusalem on a donkey illustrate 'good'? What surprising aspect of goodness does he display on this day? For what good things was Jesus crucified? Where do we find the 'inner resources' to persevere in doing good? Paul uses a different word for good in verse 10. What does it add? Give some examples of doing good.

Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land. The Lord Almighty has declared, "Surely the great houses will become desolate, the fine mansions left without occupants. A ten-acre vineyard will produce only a bath of wine; a homer of seed will yield only an ephah of grain" (Isaiah 5:8-10). These ancient words judge our own culture. Whereas, our rural areas were once occupied by many small family farms, they are now littered with large houses surrounded by manicured lawns and gardens producing nothing of value. Many a retired couple lives in a house much larger than the one they raised their children in. Our text speaks to greed for bigger houses and more land. The rich buy it, dispossessing the former owners one by one until at last the rich live alone on a vast estate, the former owners reduced to serfdom. This sin was particularly offensive to God because in the covenant the land is his. He gives it in the form of grants to his people, to be maintained in the respective families for all time. This reinforced the idea of dependence on God and a means of subsistence for the small landowner. Such sins of greed are rooted in a failure to admit that God has the right to establish limits for us. The desire for more is coupled with the failure to recognize that our desires are insatiable and that the only way to control them is a conscious decision to stop. Self-indulgence is possible for all of us when my needs are all-important. Who has the right to tell me enough is enough? Soon, comfort, pleasure, and security become absolute goals, and whatever seems to increase them we seek to acquire. But God announces a judgement that fits the crime. Just as the rich dispossessed others, they will be dispossessed, and all the land acquired will produce almost nothing. Would God say that same thing about rural displacement and urban gentrification that dislocates the poor and the vulnerable? Such extravagances are unsustainable. Many large and beautiful houses will be destroyed or vacated. The abandoned agricultural land will fail to produce. What should we do when our own hearts move toward this sin of greed? The answer is simple, "Sabbath." Stop working. Only then do we have time to remember that we do not control our own destiny. During sabbath we learn to rely on God. While at rest, we have time to know that God is able to take care of us. Today, Christian's need to reacquaint themselves with Sabbath. It's meant to be like a factory reset—putting us back in line with God. It is not a day of drudgery to be endured, but rather a day to celebrate our God who provides. God puts a stop sign before our desires to acquire and warns that ignoring that sign will have dire consequences. Sabbath also gives us time to see our neighbour, to notice their needs. Then we realize that out our excess God desires to care for that neighbour. That is why an offering is taken during worship services. What will you bring to God this weekend, to bless your neighbour in need? As you journey on, receive Jesus' invitation into this rest: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul. I will praise the Lord all my life. The Lord reigns forever, your God, O [church], for all generations. Praise the Lord! (Psalm 146:1, 2, 10). When we think of spiritual disciplines, prayer, scripture reading, silence, retreats, often come to mind. But that's a rather narrow perspective. The Bible includes a more robust list. One of which is the discipline of praising God. "Praise the Lord," is the resounding call of many psalms. It's a discipline we ought to take up. Most often we only lift our praises when we feel like it. But these psalms do not ask us if we feel like it. They tell us to "Praise the Lord!" Just do it! Notice how the Psalmist begins, "Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!" Is it possible that the psalmist doesn't really feel like it? Thus, he must remind himself to get to it. Just to do it! And then he makes this commitment, "I will praise the Lord all my life." This is why I say that praising God is a spiritual discipline. We need to commit ourselves to doing it, whether we want to or not. This Psalm leans toward evangelism. It's a word that unnerves many. We see it as something separate from the rest of our faith; something we will get to once we are ready or mature enough, or the Spirit has made us bold enough. It conjures up the image of trying to convince strangers to become Christians. The Bible persistently gives a different slant to evangelism. The word means 'to tell a great story or news.' If our favourite sports team wins the championship, we like to tell stories of how it happened. And who hasn't heard the story of the fish that just keeps getting bigger? The Hebrew verb for praise, HALAL, means to make a show, to boast, to rave, to celebrate, perhaps even to be clamorously foolish--an image that may offer a fair description of the exultant experience of the first Christian Pentecost. Add the Hebrew word for God to Halal and we get Hallelujah! These psalms tell us to declare the things that God has done. That is how Israel used them. They were sung as expressions of the joy of the exiles coming home from Babylon. God had set them free. He had brought them home. The story needed to be told. Likewise, evangelism is telling good news, stories of hope. Therefore, Psalm 146 gives helpful advice for us. Evangelism begins with a commitment to praise God. When our goal is to declare the praise of God every day, someone is bound to hear it. What stories about God do you have? How will you tell them? Surely, if we have become children of God through faith in Jesus, we have some stories to tell. Remember that there is a larger story: God's story. Our stories are part of his story. So, whatever happens, remember, "Praise the Lord, O my soul!" As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.

…take some of the firstfruits of all that you produce from the soil of the land the Lord your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name…Place the basket before the Lord your God and bow down before him. Then you and the Levites and the foreigners residing among you shall rejoice in all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household. (Deuteronomy 26:2, 10, 11). In homes with young children, many a refrigerator is adorned with the children's creative work. Parents give crafting material to the children and likely teach them some basic skills. Yet, when the project is complete, the child runs to bring it to their parents, declaring, "Look what I made for you". Together they delight over it. Could it be that this family ritual is modelled after God's relationship with us? In our text, it is not childish craft projects, but the very work of their hands that the Israelites were to bring before the Lord and rejoice. We often skim over the Mosaic law, believing that it is all irrelevant to us. Or, to say it more theologically, it is all fulfilled in Christ. This may be true, but there is much here that can nurture our souls. Take a moment to imagine that you are a farmer. You tend your herds. You till your fields; you plant your seeds. Day after day, you watch your flocks grow and your crops develop. As you watch and tend and nurture, you keep looking for that animal and that crop that is the best, the closest to perfect. You take special care of that animal and crop. That is what you will take with you to worship. That is what you will offer to God. And together with others, you will rejoice over what God has given to you. We often imagine God with eyes, watching over us. The Israelites also imagined God with nostrils breathing in the aromas of their worship, which was the fruit of their work. Their offerings were a pleasing aroma to him. Jesus taught us to address God as Father and John teaches that believers in Jesus are children of God. When we think of God as our father, we often think of how God the father gave up his only begotten son for our salvation, and we think of God's fatherly arms comforting us in our pains and sorrows. These are real things that God does. But the Israelites knew something else about God: he cares about the things we do from day to day. When we do them well, they are a pleasing aroma that he breaths in through his nostrils. God actually cares about the little things we work on. As you do the little things of life this week, know that God is there watching and waiting. Not to judge, but to delight in you and your work. Don't leave them behind when you come to worship. Bring them along and offer them to him. Rejoice with him, in the good things you bring. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: Wherever God takes you today (this week), may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.

Woe to those who plan iniquity, to those who plot evil on their beds! At morning's light they carry it out because it is in their power to do it. They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them. They defraud people of their homes; they rob them of their inheritance. Therefore, the Lord says: "I am planning disaster against this people, from which you cannot save yourselves (Micah 2:1-3). Several times, I have connected coveting with a lack of rest. Today, I draw your attention to another Old Testament passage that makes this connection. A lack of rest does not refer to insomnia, nor, simply to a weekly 'non-work' day. The Bible lays out a more robust understanding of rest. It is a full-bodied trust in God that he will provide and care for us. A trust so deep that we leave behind any desires for sin, enabling us to pursue the righteousness of God's kingdom. In our text, Micah laments that Israel absolutely refuses to accept this invitation to rest. Instead, those with means—land, money, influence, power—spend their nights plotting how to get more land, money, influence and power. They wake, leaping into action to carry out their plans. Because they already have land, money, influence and power, they have the means to implement their schemes. These evil schemers accumulate possessions at the expense of others. This is not just a violation of the command to love your neighbour, but also of the command to love God above all else. You see, God had given to each Israelite family land through which he would provide for them. These evil schemers are seizing property God had given to others, leaving these others with nothing. They were thumbing their noses at God. It's probable that few, if any, of us spend our nights contemplating how to defraud our neighbours. Yet it happens around us. Walter Brueggemann says, "the poetry concerns the entire system that runs roughshod over" those who have less means—less land, less money, less influence, less power (Sabbath as Resistance). This system of coveting is bound to creep into our hearts if we do not take time to rest. Sabbath keeping as I have described it is incredibly important in resisting the influences of the culture in which we live. Micah adds a warning. God will not stand by and let this continue. He will come in judgement. He will strip those who use their means—land, money, influence, power—for evil purposes. The Lord God will remove their means—land, money, influence, power. If we are concerned about the "entire system" of our day, let us do two things. One, lean into this profound biblical rest in which we trust in God so that we heed his command, "You shall not covet." And two, pray that God will come and set things right. In the days of our text, he used the Assyrians. They were brutal. Pray that God will use a gentler means to set things right today. As you journey on, receive Jesus' invitation into this rest: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).

Praise the Lord! He has revealed his word to Jacob, his laws and decrees to Israel. Praise the Lord (Psalm 147:1, 19). Our text says that God has revealed his word to Jacob, his laws and decrees to Israel. There is a back story to this. The Israelites spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness. What kind of songs were composed on that journey? Psalm 90 might have been. Think about that trip. Hundreds of thousands of people plus animals. I've walked in that wilderness. There is no food. No crops were planted or harvested. How could all these Israelites survive for 40 years? God fed them. Each day he provided bread! And they lived! Israel's experience in the wilderness was all about God's provision. Though Israel often forgot this season which fashioned them into a nation, the memory kept resurfacing. God reminded them. Their composers kept referring to it as they sang new songs. God builds His people by providing for them. Psalm 147 is part of the long tradition embedding this truth in the souls of God's people. What truth? Moses explains, "Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna…to teach you that people do not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord" (Deuteronomy 8:2,3). And so physical provision became combined with the spiritual provision of God's Word. Isaiah 55:10,11 offers this: "As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." So, God's provision is two-fold: physical and spiritual. We learn about one from the other. But notice this: while in the desert, the Israelites had to gather the food and prepare it before they could eat it. Once in the promised land, they became farmers. Even though they tilled their fields and cared for their flocks, they were to remember that God provided for them. Likewise, our spiritual food does not simple fall into our hearts. There is work to be done to receive it. The public gathering of God's people for worship has always been an essential means for receiving that food. How does God provide for you? Our text says, Praise the Lord! He has revealed his word to Jacob, his laws and decrees to Israel (Psalm 147:1, 19). We are not Jacob or Israel. But we are God's church. He offers us His Word. Have we gone out to gather and prepare it, so we can eat? Have we gotten lazy? How hungry are you for God's provision? How often do we praise God for his spiritual provisions? Do we eagerly reach for it? God provides, so let's eat. And then praise him for the nourishment he has provided. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.

You must not live according to the customs of the nations…You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own." (Leviticus 20:23,26). The laws of Leviticus are helpful to read when having trouble sleeping. Few Christians eagerly use them for devotional purposes. Those of us who read the Bible from cover to cover are glad to be done with the book. Many never spend any time there. So why is Leviticus in the Bible? Could it have value for us today? The second verse in our text, "You are to be holy…because I am holy", is quoted several times in the New Testament. Our first verse gives context to this holiness. We tend to spiritualize the call to holiness, not recognizing that it a call to shape our daily lives accordingly. Israel's economy was supposed to be different from that of the nations around her. Others were supposed to experience her way of commerce to be strange. These are the things that were to set her apart from other people. The unique ways in which the Israelite workers exchanged goods, farmed their fields, paid their servants, wove garments, prepared food, cared for their animals and took rest periods at peak agricultural times distinguished them. This unique way of doing business would be constantly challenged by their neighbours. So how was Israel to maintain her uniqueness? Walter Brueggemann argues that it was through the regular and repeated practice of worship. "It is in worship, not contextless, cerebral activity, that Israel worked out her peculiar identity and sustained her odd life in the world." It was through the liturgy that all of life—international relations, political, personal—was brought under the rule of God. This is a challenge for those of you who stayed home from worship yesterday because it was just easier. Worship is not meant to be easy, nor just watched from afar. It is meant to reshape our living and our values. Worship is to be acted out together—a dress rehearsal for Monday living. As you enter a new week, how did communal worship bring all of life under the rule of God? How were you challenged to reshape your living so that it more fully aligns with the values of God's Kingdom that he is establishing through Christ? How will you respond to the holiness call? As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: Wherever God takes you today (this week), may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is Galatians 6:6-7. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube.  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca. Dive In! 1.    Where should we see the fruit of the Spirit? 2.    What image ties the things in chapter 6 together? What are the two kinds of sowing? 3.    Three principles of sowing seed determine the harvest. 4.    What warning is given? 5.    How can you carry your "load" in this congregation? 6.    What happens when in the church people "share all good things"? 7.    What is money good for?

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning (Psalm 130:5, 6). When is the last time you waited? Just waited. Waited without doing something to distract yourself. No cellphone, no magazine, nothing. You just sat and waited…patiently. Waiting is a waste of time! That is the motto of our age. But is it a good one? Anyone remember when the Internet was slow? Today, 2 seconds or less is required for a website to load. If it takes 2.5 seconds, we've already moved on to one faster. Google engineers say that web surfers lose patience in the time it takes to blink an eye. This is true, even though history notes that Rene Descartes, Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla made important discoveries when they were doing nothing, daydreaming. We also know that unstructured, unmediated time is especially important for the development of creativity in children. Social science studies find that patient people are more cooperative. How did they develop patience? They learned to wait. Yet we consider waiting a waste of time. Technological advances have raised expectations for quick satisfaction. This is not good for our spirits. Waiting reminds us that we are creatures, not the Creator. We do not command time, circumstances, or outcomes. Abraham waited years for the promised child. Joseph endured imprisonment before God raised him up. David was anointed king long before he ever sat on the throne. In each case, the delay shaped their character. Waiting sanded down the rough edges of self-reliance. Psalm 130 calls us to wait; to wait on the Lord; living before him in expectation, to anticipate his coming. Like watchmen waiting for the morning. In the darkest hours, it seems like the sun will never rise. It can seem so during the dark hours of grieving. It can seem so when we are living with the consequences of our sin. But morning will come. There is a myth in American folk religion that God helps those who help themselves. But the Biblical truth is that he helps those who can't help themselves. The problem is that it often takes a long time for us to realize this. So, God makes us wait before he redeems. However long the night seems, the morning will surely come! The darkness will not last one moment longer than the Father knows best. Then—morning! And it will be even more glorious because we needed to wait. So next time you are waiting and tempted to pull out that cell phone, stow it away. Learn to wait. Learn patience. Embrace the anticipation of our Father's redemption. The Holy Spirit has always done his best work in the nothingness. As you journey on, receive Jesus' invitation: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).

Praise the Lord! And he has raised up for his people a horn, the praise of all his faithful servants, of Israel, the people close to his heart. Praise the Lord! (Psalm 148:1,14). In this psalm, all creation sings the praise of God. We, the children of God, are the last, singing the "Amen!" But why are we so slow to do it? Why does it take so much effort for us to praise God? The psalter ends with five entire psalms calling us to 'Praise the Lord.' Five! Why does it not come naturally to us? The answer is that all of creation is now subject to bondage and decay (Romans 8:20-21). Along with the rest of God's created order, we are subject to the power of sin. Thus, we say, "I don't want to! I want to do my own thing. I don't want to worship God." We've all been in a room of people, haven't we, when someone new walks in and immediately draws everyone's attention. In some small way, we'd all like to be that person, that centre of attention. Praising God gives him attention. It puts him at the centre. It's difficult to do. So, what do we do? Is there a way forward? The psalm's ending gives us a clue: "And he has raised up for his people a horn" (14). This line is quoted by Zachariah who was temporarily mute because he didn't believe the angel Gabriel. After his son's birth, he sings, "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us" (Luke 1:68-69). 'Horn' is an image for strength. Now listen to this, from Luke 11, Jesus said, "But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder" (20-22). Jesus' implication was clear. "I am the stronger one," he says, "I have come to bind Satan." Paul builds on this when he writes, "At one time you were dead in your sins. Your desires controlled by sin… But God gave you new life together with Christ. He forgave us all our sins…He has taken it away and nailed it to the cross. He took away the weapons of the powers and authorities. He made a public show of them. He won the battle over them by dying on the cross" (Col. 2:13-15). There we have it. The way out of sin is not within us. It is not to try harder. Rather, it is to look to Jesus. We move towards praising God by believing that Jesus has bound the powers that keep our eyes focussed on this earth and our misery. Because Jesus has released us, we can look up again. Romans 8 also tells us that the creation waits in hope for liberation. The one through whom the creation was formed has gone through death to liberate all things. Christ frees us from the bondage of all hostile powers. Jesus reconciles us and all creation to our Creator God. Followers of Jesus sing Psalm 148 in anticipation of all creation being free to sing the praise of God again. So, let's sing this psalm. Let's sing the last songs of the psalter in anticipation of Christ's final and full victory. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: "May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

The Lord said to Moses, 'Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart prompts them to give…Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them" (Exodus 25:1,2,8). Generations of slavery did more than destroy and demean the honour of Israel's work. It also inhibited Israel's worship of her God. Oppressed workers find it very difficult to offer their work as worship. The fruit of Israel's labor was directed to the glory of Pharaoh. How could they direct the fruit of their labour to the glory of the Lord? Free and holy work can be offered as worship. Not by their own choice, slaves participate in an idolatrous system. God liberated Israelite workers in part so that they could offer their work as worship to him. God begins to shape this new economy in the hearts of his people by inviting them to give a free will offering. Then, they were to take these gifts to construct a sanctuary for God to dwell among them. Take a moment to ponder the scene: liberated slaves are invited to freely offer their unique gifts, skills, craftsmanship, and artistic wisdom to adorn God's house. Those blistered hands that once built houses for dead Pharaoh, hands that stacked stones to serve his imperial and violent glory—build or die—these hands are now invited to freely offer their skill, insight, and creative touch to the construction of God's house. Imagine, their first free work is a house of worship—a place for God to dwell with them. It is decorated with color, made with hands that are rested and free. In Egypt, Israel did 'hard labour'. To counter the demeaning work of Egypt, God invites them into this project to create a space for communion—"I will dwell among them." The oppressive and predatory patterns of Pharaoh's economy would stick to Israel for centuries. She would constantly be tempted to slide back into economic patterns of hoarding and scarcity. With it came the impulse to treat people like Pharaoh had handled them. Her liturgies were resources to resist this. Sabbath worship was a reminder for workers to reject economic patterns of grasping and an invitation to walk deeper into God's economy of grace. The regular observance of rest, the yearly celebration of harvests, and the public confessions of marketplace greed were designed to bring these freed slaves into a new economy through worship. The offerings God invited Israel to bring were the treasures the Egyptians had given them as they marched out of town (12:36). The tabernacle reminded Israel that she had not left Egypt emptyhanded, that God had ways of providing beyond human imagination. As you live out this week, consider how you can direct the fruit of your labour to the glory of the Lord? How will you resist the temptation to hoard resources because it's too difficult to believe that God will provide? How can you promote conditions were workers and work are valued? As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: Wherever God takes you today (this week), may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is Galatians 6:1-5. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube.  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca Dive Deeper! What does it mean that the church is a family? How do we develop close relationships? What does "caught in a sin" mean? Give some examples. What does restore mean? Who should do the restoring? Paul spends most of his time on "the how" of restoration? What are the things he mentions? Why do you think he places the emphasis here? What is the law of Christ?  

"You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor's house or land, or anything that belongs to your neighbor" (Deuteronomy 5:21). Last week, I indicated that the Sabbath command introduces the last six. Rest is not just between us and God but also provides space to love our neighbour. Today, let's consider a story in which a lack of Sabbath led to deadly consequences. It is the story of Naboth's vineyard in 1 Kings 21. This one is included among the stories concerning Elijah whose task was to call the royal family to account. The top family in Israel has abandoned the Lord God to pursue Baal and Asherah. Covet is not used in the narrative, yet the story illustrates the nature of coveting and the ruin it brings to human society. Naboth is a small-time farmer whose land is his 'ancestral inheritance'. This is property which God gave to his forefather when Israel entered the land of milk and honey. For generations, Naboth's ancestors have enjoyed the fruit of the land. They had lived contently on the Lord's gift to them. However, in our story, king Ahab has seen this vineyard. He set his eyes on it long enough for his heart to desire it. When he approaches Naboth to purchase it, the king is rebuffed. Ahab sees all property as tradable commodity; everything is up for acquisition. There is always a price. But Naboth counters, "The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my ancestors (3)." The king is reminded that God is involved in economic exchanges and has imposed limits. These limits ensure that that those with power and money cannot keep acquiring at the expense of those with less influence and means. Further, in Deuteronomy 17, Israelite kings are instructed not to acquire lots of stuff nor to consider themselves above the law. Ahab cares a little about all of this, but Queen Jezebel not at all. She implements a scheme that ends in Naboth's death after which Ahab acquires what his heart desires. The story makes clear that coveting is not only a desire for someone's possessions. It is also the active capacity to seize what one desires. The enormity of this abuse of power is evident in Elijah's judgement on the royal couple. Everything they have will be striped from them and they themselves will meet an ominous end. A society cannot survive if coveting rules the day. This passage invites us to explore our own hearts. We must regulate inner desires, ensuring that thoughts, as well as actions, are obedient to God. Excising the slightest feeling of covetousness that arise in the mind must be our first and only response to greed and envy. God calls us to secure a neighbor's property and rights from both active harm and inner, selfish longing. That is good Sabbath work. This story allows us to stray into the political. When we elect our politicians, it is important that we consider their character as much as their platform. Greed at the top filters down. This story is a warning. As you journey on, hear Jesus' invitation: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).

May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands (Psalm 149:6). This is a psalm of praise to God, bookended by the phrase, "Praise the Lord." The opening half is delightful, a wondrous call to God's people to get up and bodily worship him. But in our verse, there is a dramatic shift that endures to the end of the psalm. What are we to make of this turn to violent warfare imagery? This is where The Lord's Prayer is helpful. It's about the battle between God's kingdom and all the dominions that seek to thwart his purposes. Psalm 149 addresses this cosmic struggle between good and evil, between God and Satan. Christians understand ourselves as living within that struggle. If we are followers of Christ, then we are soldiers in His army. The psalm is often paired with Ephesians 6:10-20 in which Paul reminds us of our part in the battle. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (12). The sword that we carry does not cut flesh, for it is the Word of God (Hebrews 4:12). It penetrates to the spiritual heart bringing either judgement or life. The two phrases of our text describe each other. Thus, "May the praise of God be in their mouths like a double-edged sword in their hands." Praising God is like wielding a sword. Our faithfulness to God and the proclamation of his sovereignty furthers His reign in this world. This psalm invites us to look beyond the troubles that fill our news feeds. Not ignoring the pressing issues of the day but remembering that we are involved in a spiritual struggle. It calls us to live and pray with confidence, remembering that we are on the winning side. There is no fear that we will lose. We pray in the assurance that through His resurrection Christ has won the war. And therefore, we use divine strategies, not human ones. In a hymn, we sing that the battle for God's kingdom and justice is fought "not with swords' loud clashing or roll of stirring drums. With deeds of love and mercy the heavenly kingdom comes." In Our World Belongs to God, we read, "Our hope for a new creation is not tied to what humans can do, for we believe that one day every challenge to God's rule will be crushed. His kingdom will fully come, and the Lord will rule…We live confidently, anticipating his coming, offering him our daily lives-our acts of kindness, our loyalty, and our love-knowing that he will weave even our sins and sorrows into his sovereign purpose. Come, Lord Jesus, come (55, 57). That's the confidence inspired by Psalm 149. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: "May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore, the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day (Deuteronomy 5:15). Many of us have heard the 10 Commandments often but have rarely paused to consider the impact these commands were meant to have on God's newly freed people. This command regarding Sabbath, which we have already considered several times, was much more than a command to stop working. It was God's way of shaping the economy that Israel would initiate once they took possession of the promised land. One way to understand the impact of this commandment is to consider Israel's new allegiance. We don't know how long the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt. Let us say that it was half the time they spent in that land: 200 years. Further, if the normal childbearing age was at 20 years, then we have roughly 10 generations of slaves. The memory of freedom was long gone. The only master these Israelites knew was Pharaoh, who had one law: work or die. This was an economy of scarcity. Egypt's hunger was never satisfied. And complaining was counter productive. If they had energy to complain the Israelites were accused of being lazy causing their workload to increase. Pharaoh was not known for providing sufficiently for his slaves. Now Israel has a new master who has set her free from this brutal economy. Yet it was the only economy they knew. They may have been free from it physically, but it was an economy in their hearts and bones and habits. Sabbath was God's way of rewriting their neuropathways. Keeping Sabbath offered habits helping them to walk in God's economy of abundance. Their new master, the Lord God, would provide for his people, no longer slaves, but freed. They were invited to choose either to keep killing themselves in the brutal economy of Egypt or to walk into the abundance of their God. Pharaoh had his taskmasters to keep the Israelites working without rest. When the Israelites became landowners in their new home and acquired servants and slaves to work their fields, they were not to treat them as Pharaoh had treated them. They were to value the humanity of their workers and offer them a dignified way of life. There is ample evidence that our economy is more like Egypt than like that of Sabbath keeping Israel. God calls us to resist the Egyptian tendrils that have burrowed their way into our society. We need to know him as the God of abundance who provides. That is why the apostles regularly include such questions as, "If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?" (1 John 3:17). As we live out this week, let us pay attention to our own hearts. Let us pay attention to the tendrils of Egyptian economy that have made themselves at home in us. What habits can we practice that help us embrace the economy of God? As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: Wherever God takes you today (this week), may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is Galatians 5:24-26. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube.  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca Dive In What was the sermon exploring? How does belonging to Jesus encourage us on the Christian Road? What does it mean to crucify the flesh? How long does it take for the flesh to die? Is it just about the things we do? What does it mean to walk in step with the Spirit? What's the difference between "being led by the Spirit" and "walking in step with the Spirit"? Where is the evidence that the Holy Spirit is making progress with us? How does the gospel change are self-perception?

"You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor's house or land, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor" (Deuteronomy 5:21). It is commonly understood that the fourth commandment, the one about resting on the Sabbath, is the glue that binds the ten together. It reaches back, gathering our relationship with God into full expression on this day of joyous rest. "Joyous?" you ask. It was meant to be. As God delighted in his creation in Genesis, so his covenant people were invited, once a week, to delight in God's sustaining of his creation. However, this commandment also reaches forward and sets the stage for the last six. The second half of the ten explore what it means to love our neighbour, culminating in the prohibition against coveting our neighbour's possessions. It anticipates a peaceable household and neighbourhood and sets out a discipline of mind and a limit on accumulation of possessions that will serve that peace. Without this discipline and limit, neighbourhoods get destroyed as coveting generates mistrust and sets neighbours against each other. Some have suggested that this tenth commandment is different from the others because it involves only intent. But that is limiting the scope of the Biblical language. In the biblical tradition, coveting includes both an attitude of craving and a forceful action to secure what is craved. Surely the commandment includes both the discipline, not allowing our minds to desire something that is not ours, and the limit, not taking something that belongs to our neighbour. House and wife are included in this commandment according to ancient understanding, not our estimation of them. House refers to all that belonged to a village household which could include various buildings, animals, land, servants and several generations of descendants. Wife should not be considered as property but as belonging with the male head of the household. The poem regarding 'A Noble Wife' in Proverbs 31 presents a severe conundrum for Biblical interpreters, but it does give a sense of the value a wife might have in Israel, giving insight into why she is mentioned here. The entire list of items mentioned in this commandment refer to a household's economic viability—the means of production. In view is probably an agrarian village with many vulnerable peasants who lived with little margin for loss. Three times the term neighbour is dropped into this command. It is all about respecting the neighbour and by extension preserving, honouring and enhancing the neighbourhood. As we enjoy God's sustaining graces on the Sabbath, we are invited to ponder what it means for us to help sustain our neighbours. Some questions we might ponder: how is my accumulation of possessions hindering the welfare of my neighbours? What thing(s) am I craving? What am I doing to promote the welfare of my neighbourhood? Jesus reminds us that loving our neighbour is the second greatest commandment. This is not primarily a feeling of goodwill, but an active contribution to my neighbour's life on this planet. As you journey on, hear Jesus' invitation: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).

     Praise the Lord (Psalm 150:1). Once, I took a two-week class with the late Dallas Willard. He began with two instructions. Each of us was to sleep 10 hours a night and we were to find a lonely place and shout Psalms 145-150 to the Lord. He explained that fatigue was one of the greatest problems in the North American church today, especially among church leaders. Fatigue hinders our ability to pay proper attention to things, especially to our own hearts and to the quiet movements of God's Spirit. Willard also explained that praising God is difficult. We resist. It helps if our bodies lead the way. Further, the ending of the book of Psalms is raucous. It demands energy. Sitting quietly at the kitchen table whispering these psalms just won't do. At the end of the Psalter, we are given a glimpse of what is happening everywhere, all the time: the worship of God. Psalm 150 is probably the most challenging of all the psalms: it's not about you, it's not about me, it's about God; all about God! Why do Christians gather for worship services? Not primarily for our own sake, but because God is worthy of our worship. This psalm gives us the basics of worship. First, where is God to be praised? In his sanctuary, in his mighty heavens, of course. This is God's throne room from where he rules the universe. Remembering where he is causes us to look up to him and away from ourselves. Second, why should we worship him? "Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness." This is a summation of his powerful rule and provision. We are allowed to fill in some details from our own lives. Third, the 'how of worship' gets a bit chaotic. "Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals." As I said, its raucous. All the stops are pulled out. Finally, the psalm asks 'Who? Who should praise the Lord?" And the answer is: everything. "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord." A lot has been said about God in all these psalms; we know the reasons to praise God. Just do it. Our praise of God is more than music, more than worship services. We believe that everything Christians do ought to be worship. 'We are to offer our bodies as living sacrifices" (Romans 12:2). Everything is to be done to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31). Such living is normally fuelled by communal worship services. What keeps you from 'just doing it.' Find ways to pay more attention to God and to yourself. And praise the Lord! Just do it! As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: "May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it (Genesis 2:15). In her book, Letters to a Diminished Church, Dorothy Sayers has a few paragraphs about work. She argues that our financial system has subordinated people to economics. Workers are merely part of the machine in which they can earn a paycheque sufficient for living and some leisure time. The worker does not recognize the work as valuable. She quotes a very able surgeon to show the results of this system: "What is happening is that nobody works for the sake of getting the thing done. The result of the work is a by-product; the aim of the work is to make money to do something else. Doctors practice medicine not primarily to relieve suffering, but to make a living—the cure of the patient is something that happens on the way. Lawyers accept briefs not because they have a passion for justice, but because the law is the profession that enables them to live." The modern tendency is to identify work with employment. In this view, work is not the expression of our creative energy in the service of society, but only something we do to obtain money and leisure. Sayers also argues that Christians have been implicit. It might be that we have spent too much time with Genesis 3 in which work is named a hardship and a judgment on sin. We need to recover the Christian understanding of work related to the "doctrines of the creative energy of God and the divine image in humanity". These Monday Avodah meditations are an effort in reclaiming a Christian view of work, which can be summed up simply as: work is sacred. In our society, work and money are woven tightly together. Christians ought to raise the alarm and make efforts to untie the knots. In the Biblical view, work is a good in itself. Many things beyond making money should be considered work. It is not primarily to make a living, but a result of being made in God's image. Thus, to do something well is sufficient, it gives glory to God. Fighting against the economic machine of our society feels futile. But let me make a few suggestions to swim against the stream. First, let us develop and maintain a robust view of humanity and of work. Our value is not in what we earn, but as image bearers of God. Everything that contributes to the flourishing of society ought to be labeled work. Second, wherever we have influence, we should advocate both for proper conditions of employment and for work that we can put our whole heart into. Both the worker and the work need to be valued. Third, treat all people with dignity all the time. These things may appear small and insignificant. But let us remember that we live for a king who uses small things to great ends. Jessus spoke about small seeds. They have great potential. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: Wherever God takes you today (this week), may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is Galatians 5:16-23. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube.  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca Dive In! How have you viewed the battle within? have you fought with hopefulness? How do you tend to drift away? What desires do you tend to follow? What does the Spirit desire? When and how have you experienced this desire becoming your desire? How has your conscience developed as you matured in as a Christian? How do you practice 'relying on the Holy Spirit'?

When will the New Moon be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat?"—skimping on the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales, buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, selling even the sweepings with the wheat (Amos 8:5-6). Amos' oracles regarding Israel are eerily descriptive of our own economy. He describes those who are numbed by their obsession with making money. They have such tunnel focus that they do not notice that their extravagant lifestyle is based on cheap labour. The economy operates to trample, ruin the poor and needy (4). He warns that sooner or later this will evoke social crisis. A society that refuses Sabbath restfulness for everyone is bound to fail (8-12). Earlier he charged Israel with this offense, "You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph" (6:6). There is at least one major difference between then and now. At least I hope there is. The exploiters did not notice—they were at worship, keeping Sabbath! But they want it done with so they can rush back to resume commerce. While keeping Sabbath, their imaginations were scheming how to get richer. Amos accuses Israel of multitasking. They are fulfilling Sabbath laws while at the same time plotting to make a bundle. It makes one wonder if Jesus had this sermon in mind when he said, "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life…" (Matthew 6:24-25). The appearance is one of rest, but the reality is profound social restlessness. Its not just trade, but distorted, dishonest trade that they are longing for. The poor are made into a tradable commodity. They are reduced to an equivalency for a pair of shoes or a silver coin. Everything has become a commodity and there are no more neighbours. What can we do to stand apart from the tide of our own economy? Let me suggest two things. First, that we make good use of Sabbath time, taking Jesus words to heart, "We cannot serve God and money". We need to ask ourselves how important money has become for us. Money is not evil, but the love of money is the root of many evils. Has our love for God softened? Is greed creeping up the ladder to bump God off the throne? Sabbath keeping is meant to dispel worry as we learn again to trust in God. A second suggestion is that we consider carefully how we view people. We encounter so many people in the span of week, that we no longer notice them. They become commodities to be used. To love our neighbour, we must notice their humanity. When life is all about hurry, hurry, hurry, people get in the way. We deal with them as interruptions rather than as neighbours God has placed on our path. When God is our first priority, seeing our neighbour becomes natural. So, as you end this week, plan to take time for Sabbath. As you journey on, hear Jesus' invitation: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).

My heart is filled with longing for your laws at all times…LORD, I call out to you with all my heart (Psalm 119:20, 145). One more reflection on Psalm 119. Via this Psalm we have explored what it might mean that David was 'a man after God's own heart' (Acts 13:22). We have looked at four things that may have caused God to describe him this way: obedience, humility, integrity and worship. Today, something that brings these different things together. Not something at the top of the list, but something, pardon the pun, that lies at the heart of the matter. Years ago, I read a book called, When Did We Start Forgetting God? It argues that Christians talk a lot about God and do lots of things for God, but we have, in large part, forgotten him. It suggested that a church that has not forgotten God exhibits one principal characteristic: a desire for God—a desire so intense it sometimes looks like drunkenness or even madness. That is what is missing in much of Christendom today. We have lost our desire for God. It is easier for us to be doing things for God and to be talking and yes, preaching and preparing devotions about God, than to fan into flame a desire for him. If you doubt me, listen to David, "You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water" (Psalm 63:1). "One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple" (Psalm 27:4). We see this in the New Testament where, Paul writes, "Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him" (Philippians 3:8-9). I could go on. There are many other examples of this in the Bible. They are rooted in the summary of the law as Jesus gives it, "You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength" (Mark 12:30). I hinted at this in my previous devotions. But I think that any reflections on what it means to be a person after God's own heart that does not ponder this, a deep desire for God, falls short. It is this longing for him, that causes God to describe David this way. If someone were to ask you, 'What do you want more than anything?" Would you answer simply, "God!"? I'm not sure many of us Christians would answer that way. Our desires wander so easily. Thus, I invite you to pray for yourself, pray for your church leaders, pray for the church, that the Holy Spirit would fill us with the desire that filled David. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: "May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters…You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands (Isaiah 55:1, 12). On Friday, we considered the opening verses of Isaiah 55. Today, we focus on verse 12. This is not merely a poetic flourish. It is the picture of what happens when God restores his people. Those who once walked in exile now walk in freedom. The journey with God is not a forced march but a joyful procession. Joy becomes the atmosphere; peace becomes the guide. Notice that creation itself joins the celebration. Mountains sing. Trees clap. The world is portrayed as a grand sanctuary echoing with praise because God is making all things right. When the Lord redeems his people, the effects ripple outward. Salvation is never small or private. It touches hearts, communities, and ultimately the whole creation which already longs for renewal. It's important to pay attention to what lies between the invitation that opens the chapter and the sending that draws it to a close. Three things are considered. First, God renews his covenant with his people. In the covenant, he both calls them to himself and sends them out as his witnesses. Second, God calls his people to leave behind their wicked ways; to repent of their unrighteous thoughts. This call is companioned with the promise of forgiveness. His mercy will cover our sin. We may feel burdened by regret, worry, or weariness. Yet God promises a future shaped not by fear but by joy, not by chaos but by peace. He leads his people forward, not alone but surrounded by the testimony of his faithfulness. Third, God reminds us of his powerful Word. That Word we know as both his creating and redeeming Word. It is beyond our comprehension in power, potential and mercy. Here is an invitation not to understand but to trust that Word. A Word that not only redeems us but transforms all of creation. Hopefully, you had opportunity to join God's people in worship this past weekend. And hopefully, you caught glimpses of these things. In worship, God's covenant with us is renewed, we hear his call to holiness, and we enter a new week with hopefulness and courage. God goes before us with his redeeming and transforming Word. Walk with this vision before you: a path lined with singing hills and applauding trees. Even when the road feels ordinary or uncertain, God is still leading. His redemption turns journeys of struggle into pilgrimages of praise. And as we follow him, our lives begin to echo the song of creation itself, proclaiming that the Lord is faithful and his restoration is sure. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: Wherever God takes you today (this week), may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.

"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live" (Isaiah 55:1-3). God's invitation in our text is worth repeated reflection and meditation. It needs savouring. It requires deep breathing so that we discern its various aromas. It must seep down into our hearts to expose all the ways in which we labour for things that do not satisfy. We must sit with it long enough to experience its fullness. As it fills us, the empty food we've eaten is revealed for its deception. Year's ago, someone paraphrased it like this, "The Sabbath day is God's market day for the week's provision wherein God will have us come to him and buy of him, without silver or money, the bread of angels, and water of life, the wine of the sacrament, and milk of the Word to feed our souls; tried gold to enrich our faith; precious eye-salve to heal our spiritual blindness; and the white clothing of Christ's righteousness to cover our filthy nakedness." More recently, Eugene Peterson offered this paraphrase, "Hey there! All who are thirsty, come to the water! Are you penniless? Come anyway—buy and eat! Come, buy your drinks, buy wine and milk. Buy without money—everything's free! Why do you spend your money on junk food, your hard-earned cash on cotton candy? Listen to me, listen well: Eat only the best, fill yourself with only the finest. Pay attention, come close now, listen carefully to my life-giving, life-nourishing words." On God's market day, we need to cease our serving so we can be served. We need to cease our grasping so we can reflect on what we've been given. We need to stop talking, so we can  hear Jesus say, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." There's no need to fight for our clothing in the sanctuary; here we are clothed in Christ. In the sanctuary we are immersed in God's strange and upside-down economy in which the currency of the world has no value. On Sunday, we must cease in our calling to do our work, that the Lord may do his work in us. If all of life is worship, the sanctuary is the place where we learn how. In other words, gathered worship equips us for our scattered worship in the world. The sanctuary practices us into the gracious work of God. I've used the words Sunday and sanctuary intentionally, yet recognizing that some must work on Sundays, and some are not physically able to come to public worship. For various reasons, the perceived need for public worship has been diminishing. But there is good reason to refresh the discipline. The church has long recognized that God does not form individual Christians, but he forms a people, his people. We need each other and we are formed together. Public worship functions like a training ground, a spiritual gymnasium for our souls. We come for eye surgery. We cannot return to the world until our priesthood has been repaired. We come to be ministered to so that we can minister outside the sanctuary. As you journey on, hear Jesus' invitation: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).

"Your covenant laws are your gift to me forever. They fill my heart with joy" (Psalm 119:111). The past few Wednesday's, we have wondered what God meant when he called David, "a man after my own heart." I say, 'wondered', because the Bible does not define this phrase. We are, of course, not talking about things we need for salvation. Rather, these are things God saw in David that delighted him. We should want God to delight in us, as well. Three delights have been mentioned: obedience, humility, and integrity. Today, we conclude with this: David worshipped God. Some of you may think of David and his harp, during the various stages of his life, shepherd, outlaw, king, composing psalms that are dear to God's people still today. Psalm 8, "Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth". Psalm 139, "You have searched me, Lord, and you know me". Psalm 32, "Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered." Psalm 23, "The Lord is my shepherd. I lack nothing." Psalm 24, "The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world and all who live in it…" And so many more. We may also think about the joy filled worship of God's gathered church. For us, worship is hearts and hands lifted to God in praise, knees bowed in prayer and confession, ears listening attentively to his Word read and expounded, hands offering service and gifts of money and mouths building up the people with words of encouragement and with prayer. However, we must consider that participating in corporate worship services do not make us worshippers of God. Plenty of times in the Bible, God chastises his people for engaging in the formal acts of worship but not worshipping him at all. Take some time to read through Amos 5, Isaiah 58 and Matthew 6. David was a worshipper of God not because he composed songs that became part of the Bible. Rather, he was a worshipper because he loved God and his love led him to obey God. I encourage you to be part of a community gathered in Christ's name in which your love for God is fanned into the flame of obedience. A community where the grace of God in Christ is proclaimed, received and lived. In such communities, Jesus' words come to fulfillment, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me…streams of living water will flow from within him" (John 7:37,38). We cannot worship God and not go forth to bless those around us. Are you seeking to delight God? Here are four qualities that God delights in and the Spirit grows in us: obedience, humility, integrity, worship. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: "May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart… (Psalm 15:1-2). It's difficult to know where and when it started. Maybe it was the monastic movements in which people retreated to the wilderness to focus on personal holiness. Maybe it was the division between clergy and laity that intensified during the Middle Ages. What ever its origins, the problem persists. I'm thinking about the continued divide between the sacred and the secular in which we separate corporate worship from life between worship occasions. That is not the way Old Testament writers understood life. A holy life was integrated, walking in the ways of the Lord consistently—in the temple, the home and the marketplace. Every aspect of life was to be marked by holiness, spiritual and material, private and public, liturgical and economic. All of life was holy, faithfully lived out before the face of God. When the Israelites gathered for worship, it was not an escape from the marketplace, the fields, or the political arena. Rather, worship engaged and challenged the economic, cultural, and political behaviours of God's people. While at worship, his people declared that he alone was sovereign of their lives. He was Lord of family and agriculture, money and markets, armies and kings, and, oh yes, the weather. Israelite worship was considered an act of enthroning God (Psalm 29). He was declared king over private and public life. Singing together, worshipers were engaged in the liturgical act of submitting more areas of life to his sovereignty. Holiness flowed from the sanctuary into the network of relationships and activities. Both work and worship are named 'avodah', acts of service to God. So, as you enter a new week, how will you live? Will you commit to live before God in all you do? Will you pursue holiness at home and at work, in buying and in selling, with soul and with body? How will you prepare for the next corporate worship time? As you live out this week, pay attention to the temptations you face. Which ones do you give in to? Bring them into worship for confession. May only those without sin enter God's holy place? That was never the case. The Israelites came to worship confessing their sins and receiving God's liberating grace. We come the same way, covered by the blood of the Lamb. But those who have no desire to live integrated holy lives should not presume to worship a holy God. Let the days between corporate worship be days of preparation. Let your worship season your work and your work your worship. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: Wherever God takes you today (this week), may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is Galatians 5:13-15. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube.  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca Dive In! Before today's sermon, how would you describe Christianity? What is its goal? What element of freedom has been the focus in the past few weeks? What element of freedom was highlighted today? In what situations do you find it hard to love others? How will today's sermon help increase your love?  In the illustration of 'the gift', what have you done with God's gift of freedom? Where and how can you learn to practice love as described in 1 Cor 13?

Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? (Isaiah 58:5-7). Isaiah at it again—many things lie between this text and the first chapter—yet, in both, he takes a strip off God's people. Strictly speaking our text refers to fasting, not sabbath keeping. Yet rest is at the heart of God's problem with his people. In particular, the lack of rest for their neighbours. Once again, they are doing all the right religious stuff. I'm reminded of a senior demon's advice to his mentee, "As long as they retain externally the habits of a Christian, they can still be made to think of themselves as such." It appears that the Israelites do want to get close to God, to be in covenant relationship with him. But there is something in the way, their attitudes towards their neighbours. Other folks are tools; tools for making a profit. And if these other folks do not have time for rest, who cares, 'not my problem'. But, according to God, it is their problem. Ever since Cain asked the question, "Am I my brother's keeper?" the answer is in plain sight. "Yes, I am." We cannot worship God while ignoring our neighbour in need. In Galatians 5, Paul writes, "the only thing that matters is faith working itself out in love" (6). James wrote, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world" (1:27). John adds, "Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen" (1 John 4:20). The word 'love' used here is much stronger than how we usually use it. It includes the probability of suffering. Christ set the example for us: his patient work of healing the sick, even when tired. And we must not neglect his last days of suffering through torture and execution. This is the nature of the love we are to have for our neighbours. The two great commandments are to love God above all and neighbour as yourself. We cannot have one without the other. With so many neighbours in need, this is difficult stuff to deal with. It starts with the heart. A heart that knows it is deeply loved is a heart that seeks to love the neighbour. Start by worshipping the covenant God, see his concern for you. Those who love God through worship become filled with compassion for their neighbours. As you journey on, hear Jesus' invitation: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).

I will praise you with an honest heart as I learn about how fair your decisions are (Psalm 119:7). A psalmist sang, "[God] chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens; from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance. And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skilful hands he led them" (Psalm 78:70-72). We considered obedience and humility. Integrity is a third quality David had that made him a person after God's own heart. We should ask ourselves, "Is my heart turned towards God?" or to use New Testament language, "Am I looking towards Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith?" (Hebrews 12:2). Integrity is "the quality of being honest and living by moral principles" or "the state of being whole and undivided". But there is more here. Saul would not take responsibility for his sin (1 Sam. 15:24-30). David was willing to confess his sin and take responsibility for it. In the matter of kingship in Israel, God was her king. But he anticipated that she would want a human king. So, he gave this instruction, "When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law... It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees and not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites and turn from the law to the right or to the left" (Deuteronomy 17:18-20). There is no record of David writing the scroll. However, his many psalms convey a man who loved God's law. When David was established as king of Israel, his first official act was to bring the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6). He established the worship of God as the central feature of his kingship, signalling to Israel that God was her true king. So, we might say, that a person of integrity is someone whose heart is aimed towards God in obedience and worship. But how do we get to such a place? I think Jesus leads us there in his conversation with that woman at the well in Samaria, "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth" (John 4:24). Jesus is making two points here. We have direct access to God through His Spirit and Jesus is the truth. However, we tend to hide the truth about ourselves from him. Like Saul, we want to make ourselves look better than we are. Christian integrity is honesty before God; to let God see the truth of who we are. Then he forgives and we can receive his grace. Have you made time for confession? Remember, God already knows more about you than you do yourself. Trying to hide ourselves from him is a futile exercise. Let him see our sins. Let him extend his grace to us. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: "May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

Then [Jesus] said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field" (Matthew 9:37-38). Years ago, on a flight to Los Angelos, I read a book called Margin. The author, Richard Swenson, M.D., argued that we fill our lives too full. He used the image of the old blue lined paper used for writing. It also had pink lines creating margins. One did not write in the margins. He urged his readers to maintain margins in their lives. If this was a needed reminder in 2002, surely it is as necessary today. I don't think many of us have heeded his advise. It's become such a norm for our schedules to be packed and for our attention to be pulled in many directions. This means we do not have time to notice the spiritual hunger in us or around us. But what if we made room? What if we slowed down enough to listen – not just to sermons and podcasts but to the people in our everyday lives? Creating margin is not just about better time management or learning how to balance it all – it's a spiritual practice, a countercultural pursuit. It's believing if we leave margin in our calendars, God will show us where He's already moving. It's replacing our fears of not doing enough with having the faith that Jesus has already finished the work of salvation and is presently doing more than we realize. Someone once said, "You don't need to bring Jesus into your workplace – He's already there." What if we start praying that Jesus will help us join conversations he is already having with coworkers, neighbours, with strangers in line at the grocery store. What if God is already at work in our everyday lives, waiting for us to notice? This shift means intentionally creating space in our lives to pay attention to what God is doing. It could be taking a longer walk and praying as we go, asking God to open our eyes to someone who needs encouragement. It might mean setting aside an evening for inviting over a neighbour. It could look like asking the grocery clerk how their day is going and really listening to the answer. God's mission doesn't need superstars. It needs people willing to be present daily. It's being attentive to the Spirit, available to others and being grounded in the belief Jesus is already leading the way. When we create margin to join Jesus in His work, we may find the stagnation that sometimes dogs our Christian life starts to crack open with wonder. Conversations happen, stories emerge, relationships get kindled, and joy re-enters. We're no longer just surviving spiritually on our hamster wheels; we begin to thrive as we participate in harvesting adventures far bigger than ourselves. So, as we take Jesus at His word, let's ask the Lord of the harvest to send us, and let's slow down enough to follow Him. Not just in the rush of church activity, but in the quiet courage of everyday presence. Because the harvest is plentiful, and Jesus is already there. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: Wherever God takes you today, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.