MIRROR THE LORD

Dining with Jesus Christian Episodes

PASTOR RYAN LADEN – DEVOTIONALS

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Why should you take seriously the call of God to rest and reflect during your day of Sabbath? Because the Lord himself set you the example. God found the act of resting and reflecting to be of such great value that he demonstrated the principle of Sabbath to us in creation. Listen to the way that the Lord set the example for us in the following:

31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning —the sixth day.

1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. 

2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

(Genesis 1:31-2:3 NIV11)

The Lord’s Rest

What was the Lord up to during this day of rest and reflection? 

The Creator did not need rest like we might imagine, nor was the Creator following orders to stop work for the day. So what was the Lord up to here?

One clue lies in verse 31, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” At the end of the six days of creation, the Lord stopped his creative work and reflected upon the works of his hands. He evaluated creation and gave praise saying that it was very good. 

The Lord our God chose to pause, reflect, and give praise during this period of rest. 

Third Commandment

The Lord set us an example worth following in his observation of the Sabbath. This is why the third commandment calls us to look at the example set by the Creator and do likewise:

8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 

(Exodus 20:8-11 NIV11)

If we are to mirror the work of the Lord as seen in his creative schedule and his observation of the Sabbath then there are a few key points we need to pay attention to as we seek to emulate the Lord. 

  1. God values hard work (six days of work)
  2. God blessed everything and everyone equally
  3. God paused his “work” on purpose
  4. God set aside the Sabbath day as a day of rest and reflection
  5. God called us to accept the gift of his rest. 

Character

At the heart of the Sabbath is a character trait of the Creator on display. The Lord God Almighty values and honors the Sabbath because this is in keeping with the Lord’s core values. Hard work, equality, intentionality, rest, and reflection are more than commands given out by the Lord, they are descriptors of the very heart and character of God. 

If we want to honor the Lord, then we must take up this calling to mirror the actions and characteristics seen on display in the giving and keeping of Sabbath.  

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, I seek to honor you by taking what you have taught me in your actions, attitudes, and dealing with others, and I seek to apply these great blessings into my own life. Help me to take steps toward rest and reflection. Help me lead my family to honor these great principles that you have illustrated in creation. I am blessed to be the recipient of your call to honor the Sabbath. 

In Christ, 

Ryan Laden

PASTOR RYAN LADEN


Works at MTN. CHURCH

Former Senior pastor at Warnbro Community Church

Studies at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at Baylor University

Studied at Texas Tech University

Went to Castle Hills First Baptist

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