Week 4, Day 23 - Freedom & Paychecks

"Then the land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill and live there in safety. You may ask, ‘What will we eat in the seventh year if we do not plant or harvest our crops?' I will send you such a blessing in the sixth year that the land will yield enough for three years."  Leviticus 25: 19-21

REFLECT

It is very difficult to step away from our normal patterns of life. To choose to say: "I am going to stop (Shabbat), so that I can take in what God has done in the past, what he is doing around me now, and what he will do in the future." It is especially hard to do if you fear you'll lose something in the transaction.

And so it was a challenge for the Israelites when God told them to take a year of Jubilee and let the land lie fallow, not to plant, let the land rest. You want us to do what Lord? Not plant for a whole year? Not coax grain out of the fields, fill our barns, feel secure, and make a profit? And God said: "Yes, that's exactly what I want you to do. And there is one main reason for it - freedom."

One of the things that can keep us in bondage is the belief that unless we keep running as hard as we're running or earning as much as were earning, life will fall apart. The Sabbath (Shabbat) is a faith tester and a faith builder for God's people. It is God's way of reminding us, drawing our attention to what is really valuable and important in life. It's like looking at a hurting, wounded person in the eye and speaking words that are strong, true, and reassuring.

For us to earn a paycheck and be able to put food on the table and to have some left over for entertainment is a good thing. But God wants us to know that our security does not rest on what we have in the bank or what we've stored in the basement. So God invites us to "put the sickle down", stop clenching our teeth, cease being stressed out by fear of lack, and appreciate his blessings. Enjoy the freedom of Grace we continually bask in.

MAKE IT REAL

Okay, let's get real. Look in your wallet right now and see what you have. Decide on a portion of that amount that you will give away anonymously today as an act of grace to someone else. As you do so, thank God for the opportunity to be a channel of his blessing in some small way.

Day 24