Day 50

Punctuating Time

Read: Numbers 28-30

Can you imagine what life would be like if our time was not divided into weeks and months and years? There would be a dreariness about it. God knows that human beings need time broken up into segments. So to Israel he gave a religious calendar which broke life down into manageable segments. And all these segments were occasions for worship.

God gave Israel commandments to worship each day, each week, each month, and on special occasions throughout the year. What was meant to be a blessing, however, became a burden as the Pharisees in Jesus’ day weighed down these times, especially the Sabbath, with a host of rules and regulations.

On the one hand, for Christians, every day is the same. Every day we worship Christ, every day belongs to him. But Jesus himself said, “The Sabbath was made for man.” One day in seven, celebrated in a special way, through rest and worship, is of great spiritual and physical benefit. We hurt ourselves and others if we do not set one day each week aside to encourage each other in the faith and thus develop and pass on our spiritual inheritance as we worship God.

It is also helpful to celebrate the church year. Every day we rejoice that Jesus came in the flesh, that he was crucified for our salvation, and that he rose from the dead victorious on our behalf. But celebrating these events with your church family once each year keeps them in focus.

PRAYER
Father, we recognize Jesus is to be Lord of every day of the week. We praise you for him. In his name. Amen.