Sabbath Setting? 

Why is that oven in this blog?

This is our new oven, after a fire in our former oven, we replaced it with one like the above. I baked some cookies, casserole, etc. this week, entertained some friends, and then the next day my oven would not work. I just got this oven in May of this year. I was shocked, confused, etc. The panel had a message on it that I figured was a clue to what was wrong with it, and right I was.  I had to go to work so I left it as it. I was 'seeing' a repairman having to be called on this new oven - sigh.

Tonight I got out my booklet and read the details. . .  what I thought was "5ad" was actually "Sab" - and in the booklet it informed me that I'd left my oven on for over 12 hours and that sets off a Sabbath Setting in the oven - it freezes the controls, disallows it to be started until the Sabbath Setting is turned off. The oven has it's limits.

It took holding the 'clock' button for 5 seconds and voila! The Sab code flashed 5 times and I had my usual panel back in working order.

I'm reading through the Bible, a habit I have practised for many years and am in the midst of Ezekiel. This mornings reading repeatedly mentioned the importance of (but failure of Israel) to keep the Sabbath. To rest, to be separate, to trust God, to know your limits, to know His boundlessness. To cease striving and know He is God, not we. And my oven was giving me my own personal illustration. Someone has written into the computer code of this simple oven a limit to its use at one time.

Dear reader, do you know your limits in a day? Do you race through the days and evenings from the moment you put your foot out of bed until you turn the lights out in order to sleep? I am learning to do this less, to say 'no' more often in order to have time in my days for the unexpected needs that God may have me tend to, pray for, assist with, etc. Its a learning curve that takes more daily effort than I expected. 

I am not superwoman, not super-anything. I am human, made in God's image, thus not God. He is God, wants to be my God, to be my strength, to be my place of rest. It is my choice to turn away from His woo-ing, to go my own way or to consider His ways, and follow Him into a Sabbath Rest.

Have you come to the end of your day and find yourself emptied of all you have to give in time, energy, heart, and focus? Come away, sit, breathe, focus on God, open His Word, let it speak into your life fresh air, restoring your soul. Join me, won't you?

Truth for Life

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.

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Matthew 11:28-30