A Day of Promise... Happy Sabbath!

Hope is one of the greatest gifts God gives to us as humans. Without it, we would lead meaningless existences with nothing to look forward to. With it, we have every reason to keep on going. God has a plan for all of us, both as individuals and as a whole. For this life and the next. He reveals that plan to us partly to give us hope, as it says in Jeremiah 29:11, 

‘“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”’ 

Our hope in a future is what makes us carry on day after day. Not just any future either, a future living with Christ in the kingdom of God. We live in a world designed by Satan to kill hope. I don’t mean the natural world; I am talking about the human world: the media, Hollywood, our governments, the books, and the music. Satan does everything he can to make it seem like this life is hopeless. We have a hope within us, though! We are temples of the holy spirit, and neither life nor death nor any man can separate us from that, the love of God. Paul spoke of this in Romans 5:5, 

“And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” 

Our hope stems from something more profound than hope in a man, a political party, or even a government. Our hope is rooted in the Father and His promises to us, the downpayment of which is the holy spirit. Today, the Sabbath is a day pointing to and picturing our hope in the Kingdom of God. A day of rest picturing our eternal rest.

Heb 4:8-11 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 

There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 

for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.

 

The Sabbath is a promise written into the week from the beginning of creation. It was given to us so that we know that God will be faithful in His promises to us. Paired with the downpayment of the Holy Spirit, this is a powerful set of promises! God cares about us enough to give us hope and promises and symbols of the promises. This hope we carry inside us should and will be visible to those around us. In a hopeless world, we will shine forth like brilliant beacons, reflecting the hope that Christ brings. The hope of new life, forgiven sins, and a loving Father. We need to be ready to speak to others about the hope within us, Peter states this in 1 Peter 3:15, 

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who slander you may be put to shame by your good behavior in Christ.” 

We have the greatest hope the world has ever known, and this dying world is desperate to know this hope. We live in a world devoid of hope. We are truly the lights shining forth in the darkness of a hopeless society in this world. “For God, who said “Let light shine out of darkness,” is the one who shined in our hearts to give us the light of the glorious knowledge of God in the face of Christ.” We are the messengers of God’s hope to those walking in darkness. “The people walking in darkness see a bright light; light shines on those who live in a land of deep darkness.” The ‘Light’ is Christ, and He lives in us and shines through us. How awesome is that!? Believe it or not, even though the world is desperate for hope, the hope that we have is not the hope they are looking for. Individuals are looking for this hope, but the world as a whole is not.

“Now this is the basis for judging: that the light has come into the world and people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed.” (John 3:19)

And, 

““If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you do not belong to the world, but I chose you out of the world, for this reason the world hates you.” (John 15:18)

And again, 

“You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 10:22)

We must hold fast to our faith to make it through these persecutions. Our hope gives us a reason and today is part of the foundation of that hope.

Just like the first blades of green grass bring the promise of spring being right around the corner, so these times descending further into wickedness and falling from God brings the promise of the fulfillment of our hope and prayer of the soon-coming return of our king, brother, and savior, Jesus the Christ our Lord, and the Sabbath brings the promise of our eternal rest. In the words of King David, “So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the LORD!”