Bible League: Living His Word And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.— Genesis 1:5 ESV How many of you are like me and mistakenly treat Sunday as the end of the week? If you, like me, try your best to uphold the fourth commandment to rest from unnecessary labor on the Lord's Day, then it does tend to feel like a finish line. Get the cleaning done, get the cooking done, get the lessons done, so that we can actually rest on Sunday. I plop down in my pew (on the left, fifth from the front) with a sigh of relief. "Whew, I made it." I know this isn't right. I know that Sunday is the first day of the week, meant to refresh and fuel me for the rest of it. God should get the firstfruits of my energy and not just what I have left over after an exhausting week. I pray that God will change my attitude about this, so that my Sundays will be more honoring to Him. While I was pondering that recently, I got to thinking about "first days" and their significance. Old Testament believers rested on the seventh day as God instructed them to do, but New Testament believers rest and worship on the first day of the week in order to honor the day on which Jesus was raised from the dead. This day became known as "the Lord's Day." There are four significant mentions of "the first day" of the week in scripture. One in the creation story, one in the resurrection narrative, and two in places where it says that the early church was meeting on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2). On day one of creation week, God spoke and there was light. On day one of resurrection week, the light of men (John 1:4) defeated death and rose to life. On day one of the New Testament church week, God speaks to His people as they gather to hear the good news preached, which is light to their souls. I love the symbolism of light that we can see among these passages. On day one of creation, we can imagine light exploding out of darkness at the voice of God just as Jesus burst forth from the darkness of the tomb on resurrection day. In church on the Lord's Day, we also hear the voice of God, and we are enabled to keep "our lamps burning" to fulfill Jesus' command to be lights in the world. The Apostle John had his vision of Christ on the Lord's Day (Revelation 1:10), and he described the appearance of Christ's face as light, shining like the sun. Both Peter and Paul refer to the period in which we live as the "last days." When Jesus comes back to judge the living and the dead, and the light of His glory is seen over the face of the whole earth at once (Matthew 24:27), I have no doubt that we will call it "the first day" of the age to come. By Grace Barnes, Bible League International volunteer, Michigan U.S. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingGenesis 25, 26 Genesis 25 -- Abraham's Death; Ishmael, Jacob and Esau NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Genesis 26 -- Isaac and Abimelech NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Matthew 9:1-17 Matthew 9 -- Jesus Heals a Paralytic, Calls Matthew and Heals; the Workers are Few NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion So once more the people complained against Moses. “Give us water to drink!” they demanded.“Quiet!” Moses replied. “Why are you complaining against me? And why are you testing the LORD?” Insight The people complained about their problems instead of praying. Some problems can be solved by careful thought or by rearranging our priorities. Some can be solved by discussion and good counsel. But some problems can be solved only by prayer. Challenge We should make a determined effort to pray when we feel like complaining because complaining only raises our level of stress. Prayer quiets our thoughts and emotions, and prepares us to listen. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon 2 Timothy 4:8 There is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.Doubting one! thou hast often said, "I fear I shall never enter heaven." Fear not! all the people of God shall enter there. I love the quaint saying of a dying man, who exclaimed, "I have no fear of going home; I have sent all before me; God's finger is on the latch of my door, and I am ready for him to enter." "But," said one, "are you not afraid lest you should miss your inheritance?" "Nay," said he, "nay; there is one crown in heaven which the angel Gabriel could not wear, it will fit no head but mine. There is one throne in heaven which Paul the apostle could not fill; it was made for me, and I shall have it." O Christian, what a joyous thought! thy portion is secure; "there remaineth a rest." "But cannot I forfeit it?" No, it is entailed. If I be a child of God I shall not lose it. It is mine as securely as if I were there. Come with me, believer, and let us sit upon the top of Nebo, and view the goodly land, even Canaan. Seest thou that little river of death glistening in the sunlight, and across it dost thou see the pinnacles of the eternal city? Dost thou mark the pleasant country, and all its joyous inhabitants? Know, then, that if thou couldst fly across thou wouldst see written upon one of its many mansions, "This remaineth for such a one; preserved for him only. He shall be caught up to dwell forever with God." Poor doubting one, see the fair inheritance; it is thine. If thou believest in the Lord Jesus, if thou hast repented of sin, if thou hast been renewed in heart, thou art one of the Lord's people, and there is a place reserved for thee, a crown laid up for thee, a harp specially provided for thee. No one else shall have thy portion, it is reserved in heaven for thee, and thou shalt have it ere long, for there shall be no vacant thrones in glory when all the chosen are gathered in. Daily Light on the Daily Path 1 Thessalonians 5:23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.Ephesians 5:25,27 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, • that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. Colossians 1:28 We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Colossians 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. 2 Thessalonians 2:16,17 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, • comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word. 1 Corinthians 1:8 who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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