Guarding the Sabbath – (for Oct. 15th)

S: When evening shadows fell on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I ordered the doors to be shut and not opened until the Sabbath was over. I stationed some of my own men at the gates so that no load could be brought in on the Sabbath day. Once or twice the merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside Jerusalem. But I warned them and said, “Why do you spend the night by the wall? If you do this again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time on they no longer came on the Sabbath. Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and go and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy. Nehemiah 13:19-22 (NIV)

O: Nehemiah ordered physical boundaries to be set up in order to protect the temple, protect the Sabbath.

A: We do a lot of talking about boundaries – setting healthy boundaries on relationships, work, etc. -  but when it comes to Sabbath, when it comes to my relationship with my Savior – do I guard my time with Him as if He were a family waiting for me? Do I say, nope, not now, that can wait, but this, THIS, cannot wait….? Do I need to set up physical boundaries (hmmm guards with guns? – just kidding!)?

P: Jesus, show me clearly the boundary lines I need to set up and help me to stay within those lines. You know what is best for me. Not one more email. Not one more thing off my to-do list. Just time with You. Show me how to just be and in doing that bringing honor and glory to Your name.