September 22 - LD 38, Day 6: God’s Wonderful Provision
Sunday the 22nd of September
in Heidelberg Catechism Meditations
Matthew 11:28-29: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”
The Sabbath is sorely needed by us. We need this rest because we are weary and heavy laden. Christians are not those who are better than everyone else. Christians are those who realize their need for Christ. The burdens that we must bear cannot be carried by us alone. Sometimes in our pride, we like to think that we are able to get along quite well with our own ability and strength. That pride will be crushed. We stand always before death. Do you live in that consciousness?
Some say that this commandment doesn’t apply any more. We have seen that the law of God embodied in the Ten Commandments is unchangeable. The fourth commandment is part of that unchangeable law of God. Yet in our day, there are multitudes who act as if this commandment doesn't even apply to them. Why is that? Would we be those who pick and choose the commandments that we would obey?
More pertinent is the question: Are we thankful Christians who live in the joy that only comes through fellowship with the living God? Are we those who have seen the wonder of that salvation which is ours only by the grace of God in Christ Jesus? Then we also recognize that we are completely dependent upon His grace for our whole life and our entire Christian walk. We are sinners. There is not a moment that goes by that we can be without Christ, lest we perish. This is the day, the one day of every week, the first day, in which we may enjoy the fellowship of our God in such a way that it carries us through the week and through all our trials and sorrows. This is the day in which we may receive strength from on high, strength which comes in knowing that our Savior walks with us and talks with us. This is what makes this day such a precious gift of God to us. Would we act as if we don't need this day?