Leaning Into the Sabbath

Scripture: What grows of its own accord of your harvest you shall not reap, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine, for it is a year of rest for the land. And the sabbath produce of the land shall be food for you: for you, your male and female servants, your hired man, and the stranger who dwells with you. Leviticus 25:5-6

Observation: As the Lord pronounces the sabbath year - that every seven years will be a year of rest - he clarifies the food Israel will eat. They will not plant or harvest crops. Instead, they will eat "sabbath produce or the land". He clarifies this later. The majority of their food will be from a vast blessing of food to come in the sixth year, which will be enough for the seventh and at least until the time of harvest in the eighth years. It also seems they may take of the abundance of the land ... wild fruits and trees and plants that are not necessarily part of their crops they may eat as long as they are not formally working to harvest them.

In other words ... the Lord will provide for them in such a way that they can take a full year off of working and have plenty of provision for comfortable and worry-free living.

Application: I find it hard to truly rest for a day. The sabbath is a time of rest, which is an act of faith; we are to trust in God so much that we feel no stress about not providing for ourselves for a time. I can do that once a week because I know it's okay with my employer and even permitted by law. However, I know the stress I sometimes feel on vacation, checking email and ensuring I respond to certain matters. This is, in a word, faithless.

God is so wonderful and powerful that he can provide everything an entire nation needs for three years without any effort on their part. Certainly I should know he can provide my daily bread. I feel a need to lean into that, and to likewise lead my wife and family into that same trust.

Prayer: Lord, you have given me thoughts today. I will pray on this matter for some days. May you reveal to me a path you have me take to improve how we all, myself, my wife, my family, and perhaps my extended family of Christ, can lean into your sabbath by faith. Amen.