David's men ate the consecrated bread....and the disciples of Jesus plucked the heads of corn on the Sabbath. There was no problem there. It would be the same today with for instance....heat....someone has to make the electrical power for heat in the winter......as a matter of fact I worked for 37 years in a coal-fired power plant. It would be pretty hypocritical for a pastor to preach against any work on the Sabbath....as he stood in the warmth of the sanctuary. That is not God's intent with the commandment to set the day apart. God severely judged Judah and Jerusalem....and Jeremiah gave one of the reasons....as we find in chapter 17 verse 27...."But if you do not listen to me, to keep the Sabbath day holy, and not to bear a burden and enter by the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem and shall not be quenched." Jeremiah had something else interesting to say in chapter 11 verse 13...."For your gods have become as many as your cities..." Throw your....read the Bible in a year....schedule away....and read where God's Holy Spirit leads you. Today in much of America....(Saturday).....it was a complete day and evening of college football....and tomorrow....the Lord's Day....we will make a mockery of Jeremiah's words in chapter 17....and fulfill his words from chapter 11....while so many shepherds of the American church see no problem at all....fulfilling Jeremiah 22:22...."The wind will sweep away all your shepherds...."
Lord if it by Thy will may this be the day that Thy Holy Spirit awakens our pulpits. May this day before see Thy servants....our shepherds.....toss and turn this night....trying to deal with what Thy Spirit is calling them to do. Lord take thy church back to the old paths from which Thy servant Jeremiah instructed us to go. We are besot upon Lord from every direction. We are drowning Lord in a sea of unbelief. We are confused Lord.....in chaos even....so much so that a false prophet has bewitched us....and we followed him.....and he changed us......and took our eyes off of Thee. Thy glory has departed Lord. We meet and offer praises but our attention span is determined by the plans that we had already made for the day....acceptable and honorable plans in themselves Lord....but not acceptable on the day that Thou has given us to renew our strength. Thus Lord Thy glory and Thy power has departed from us. Restore us Lord. Thou has set boundaries on the sea....where it may go no further.....set boundaries Lord on the deceptions of this world....that they no longer overwhelm us. Do this Lord for Thy name sake.....for Thy glory alone. Bring a new day upon us Lord.....where we are once again a peculiar people....where we once again look with great hope and expectation for Thy return. Do all this Lord to Thy glory....may every breath we take be to Thy glory....every plan we make....every thought....every act of repentance....every offering of praise! Bring others into Thy kingdom Lord....use us Lord....fill the banquet hall! May we never lose astonishment Lord on how Thou has had mercy upon us....never forget our past state....our deadness to Thy Word....our hopelessness....and thus always be in remembrance of Thy grace and mercy....and may we therefore never stop praising Thee. Even when our minds are enmeshed in difficult and complicated tasks of the day....may Thy voice be as clear as in total silence....and Thy presence as overpowering as when we first believed!
