Sabbath Thought - Ready to Hear

The official days of summer have come and gone. September is well underway with kids back in school and the fall Holy Days arriving in just a few weeks. The fall Holy Days are deeply meaningful as we look forward to the triumphant return of Jesus Christ and all that begins to happen as God's plan of salvation for mankind moves forward.

As we now look forward to the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day, we have the wonderful opportunity to receive a concentrated dose of God's Word expounded like no other time of the year. In the next seven weeks, we will hear 18 sermons, 17 sermonettes and several Bible studies. Add to this the expanded opportunities for Godly fellowship, serving and practicing God's way of life, and we have a foretaste of God's Kingdom like no other time of the year.

In Deuteronomy 16:16 we are reminded to come before God in the three Holy Day seasons He established, and not to come before Him "empty."  We read that verse primarily in context of the offerings we are to bring before God, but there is another aspect of applying that verse as well. Do we come before God preoccupied or daydreaming? The men who will present God's Word have spent many hours putting together the messages we will hear, and we ask in our prayers that God would inspire our hearing of those messages - are we coming with a heart and mind ready to hear?

God's Spirit (as expressed through His Word) is not something to casually consider. He removes His Spirit from those who misuse it or don't use it at all. He states that His desire is for His Spirit to make a return on His "investment". "So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it," (Isaiah 55:11).  Interestingly enough, the word "void" in this verse is the same word "empty" in Deuteronomy 16:16.

Will we prosper because of the Word we will hear in the coming weeks? Will we have ears eager to hear the Word of God? Will we have the strength of character to make the most of this opportunity so it can help carry us through the coming winter months?

Let's make the most of these coming days. Rejoice in God's Feast Days and take on more of the mind of Christ.

I wish you a very meaningful Sabbath,

Dan Dowd

7 September, 2024