Life is always busy, like the water in the mountains, constantly rushing downward, not easy to find a deep pool for a little stop sometime… As I think of this, I laid my pen down and began talking to God…

It is quiet outside, only small sound of vehicles from far away, the morning sun shines through the clouds and the bare branches into my eyes. I looked up and heard the chirping from the young birds just hatched, coming to my ears from time to time. I said, “Lord, I love You, my life belongs to You. Thank You for giving me grace and strength to have victory over my weaknesses. As a well-known Chinese poem said, ‘From both banks of the gorge come incessant howling of gibbons and monkeys, my skiff has left thousands of mountain peaks behind…’ Likewise, by God’s grace I have moved forward, leaving many of the weaknesses behind. There is such an ease without guilt, and so content just to have the Lord. How can I not be joyful raising up the cup of salvation to praise the Lord?! My heart is at peace, like a weaned child with its mother…”

Looking at the decorations on my desk, books, paper, pens and the coffee cup scattered around the lamp, I said, “Lord, talk to me, your child is listening.” I felt the Lord pat on my back and said, “I am here with you.”

It hasn’t been easy lately, Molica wants to bring several Native Americans to Taiwan to connect with the First Nation in Taiwan, and then go to Japan to participate in “Homecoming Gathering”, hoping they will receive the precious essence of the core values of the “Homecoming.”

Some people already felt led to donate for the needs. Molica began to purchase tickets for them, arrange transportation and accommodation. However, in the midst of the arrangements, some people got sick, one fell and injured her hand. One person’s daughter needed more treatment after kidney transplant, some has financial situation in the home…, one issue after another. While comforting and encouraging people on the phone, she needs to change the tickets, get refund on the tickets, and forward doctors’ medical reports to the airlines. Each time she contacted the airline, there was at least 30 up to 60 minutes hold time. But I sincerely admire her, having peace without agitation or worry, but a sense of assurance, knowing God is in control, God is watching. And a determination to hand things over to God, if I die, I die. That is shalom, the peace that transcends the circumstances, like Jesus slept in the midst of storm, like (Psalm 23:5) says, You prepared a banquet before me in the presence of my enemies.

From shalom, I think of the Sabbath. The story in (Matthew 12:1-13) and (Mark 2:27) is quite interesting. The Pharisees carefully observed the Sabbath according to God’s command. The disciples passed through the grainfields hungry, so they began to pick the grains and eat them. They said that is unlawful. In another case the Lord healed the man with the withered hand on Sabbath, yet they plotted how to kill Jesus. But Jesus said, when David and his followers fled from Saul, they entered into the temple and ate the consecrated bread which is lawful only for the priests to eat. The Lord asked them again, if the sheep fell into the pit during Sabbath, wouldn’t you pull it up? The Lord said that God desires mercy, not sacrifice. The Sabbath was made for men, not men for the Sabbath. But for those who only know the religious traditions without their spirit being enlightened, it would be hard to understand the meaning behind the law. Sabbath is to rest, to have our whole being restored, spirit, soul and body. The shoes are made for the feet, not the feet for the shoes!

If we go a little deeper, (Exodus 20:8-11) and (Deut. 5:12-15), when talking about the Ten Commandments, both mentioned to keep the Sabbath, but for different reasons. The first one, God created all things in six days and rested on the seventh, so the Lord made the Sabbath holy. The second one, God brought the Israelites out of slavery from Egypt, so God wanted them to keep the Sabbath. Though the reasons are different yet the command to keep the Sabbath are the same. So, there must be important meaning behind Sabbath that we should pay attention to. What is it? What is common in between the two? What does God want us to learn?

My thought is, men can neither contribute anything in the creation of heavens and the earth, nor could the Israelites do anything to set themselves free from the slavery in the land. We being created to enjoy life, or the Israelites being delivered to enjoy freedom, are all God’s doing. God has done such great things for us, is there anything God couldn’t do? So why not just relax and rest. Keep the store open for six days and rest one day. Pick up manna for six days and rest on the seventh. Work for six days and reserve one for the family. God watch over the birds in the air and the flowers in the field. Give it a try, God will not fail us. What important is not just keeping the Sabbath day, but to have faith in God!! Correct?

(Heb. 3:7-4:11) quoted (Psalm 95:7-11) saying that the Israelites in the wilderness were not able to enter into God’s rest because of their unbelief (Heb. 3:19), but some did enter God’s rest, because they rested from their own work, just as God rested from His work (Heb. 4:10). So what is important is not to keep the day, but to learn to trust Him. To sleep in the midst of the storm is rest (Matthew 8:23-27). To have circumcision in the plains of Jericho, after crossing Jordan River is rest (Joshua 5:2-8). Being confronted by strong enemy with no ability to resist, but to set up worship and praise to march before the army, is rest (2 Ch. 20:21-22). There is a painting, portraying young birds and the mother nestling on the branch off the cliff, in the midst of rain and storm, that is rest. In the face of setbacks, you are not agitated but holding onto God, that is rest. The devil puts lies in your mind, “My son will never change. In my life time my husband will never change…” But you say, “Ha! Ha! Ha!”, learn to stand on God’s side and laugh at the lies of the enemy, that is rest. How can this be? Because I know that my Redeemer lives and He promises to be with me, so I can enter into the rest that comes from total trust in Him who is the King, the Creator, who is alive and who happens to be my Dad! Even trust Him to a point, like Daniel in the lion’s den, like Daniel’s friend in the red burned furnace, or like Stephen being stoned to death, yet was still able to face it in peace, that is real rest!

The burnt offering is to remain on the altar throughout the night till morning, and the fire must be kept burning on the altar (Lev. 6:8-13). It means in good day or bad day, in easy time or rough time, God wants us to live out the intimacy Adam had with God in the garden of Eden and enter into the rest of total trust.

Therefore, the true meaning of keeping the Sabbath is that God wants us to know Him to a point where total trust in God becomes our lifestyle. And this is the road all God’s children must eventually journey on. I choose to trust in God, in facing every situation, whether it is about family, business, church or nation. I choose to rely on the Lord and face every situation with a positive attitude, not nervous, not cowering, not escaping, but to be a person, full of shalom, stable, peaceful, loving and able to bring this joy of trusting God to others! I believe you also feel the same. For such people, God said He is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them (Heb. 11:16).

This rest does not mean there is no war, but truly know I am a royal son of God, I have inheritance, and there are so much that the Father is waiting to give to me, and to you too. And this is the true Sabbath!