Scripture
Today’s verse is on our conscience and comes from Philippians 3:12-14, “Not that i have already attained, or am already perfect, but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brothers, I do not count myself to have already made it my own; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Background And Application
Good Friday is probably a holiday for many of us worker bees. It certainly is a blessing to have an extra day off work to enjoy the Easter weekend every year. The only thing to make sure of is that we don’t take a holiday from our walk with the Lord. It is very tempting to slack off of our personal disciplines, or use our prayer time to enjoy some leisure activity. Now relaxation and leisure are good things. God certainly knows all about rest. We just don’t want our physical time of R & R to seep into our spiritual life.
Remember that after the Israelites had destroyed Ammon, David gave himself a little time of relaxation and stayed behind in Jerusalem. Unfortunately, it led to a sinful relationship with Bathsheba. He even tried to force her husband, Uriah, to take a holiday and spend time with Bathsheba to cover up his sin, but Uriah was too honorable to oblige. Paul certainly was a man who could have used a day off. Maybe his only time of rest came when he was in prison. But he said that he did one thing, and that was to forget what was in the past, and keep on reaching forward for the things Christ had waiting for him. when you think about it, that sounds like a pretty good way to spend a holiday, doesn’t it? So give your day off to Him, and see what He gives back to you.
Charge
As we enjoy today, thank God for never taking a day off. Thank Him for finishing His work on the cross. Enjoy your day from the Lord, and be blessed.
