Prayer Thoughts on Holy Saturday
April 11, 2020 | By Daniel Chabeda, ES ‘22. Daniel is majoring in Chemistry.
Because in our resting and listening, we acknowledge Him as sovereign.
I have a folder in my Notes app called Prayer Thoughts. Whenever I am praying and a thought so darn good that it just can’t be me flashes across my mind, I thank God for the message and place it in Prayer Thoughts. I was searching for inspiration for this article and came upon the following Prayer Thought from late February. I think that it is relevant even now in April, and especially on this Holy Saturday. [1]
A lie that many young, vibrant, potential-filled people come to believe is that busyness is the maximization of effort. This is not true. An effective servant of God must pray, receive instruction, and do no more (yet certainly no less) than what God ordains. Zeal for God must be pursued on God's terms, by his ordaining in our lives. Without this discipline, we become like Martha, who chose to do a good thing by offering service to the Lord, but missed the better portion that Mary received by sitting at Jesus’ feet.[1] Satan does not like Marthas, but he hates Marys, and will do anything that he can to make us believe that we must maximize our time by running around trying to grab every meal with people, attend every talk, and lead every meeting. But this can make us ineffectual. We must learn to listen to God for what our responsibility is and where it ends. In other words, sometimes what God requires is that we do not act. Do not imagine that this is a light load, for we must still rely on God to make those times of inaction clear, but take comfort in the knowledge that it is a light burden.
[In 2 Timothy 2:4, Paul likens the one who does the will of God to a soldier]. The greatest personal danger in serving God comes when we begin assuming extra responsibilities and acting on commissions that we have not received. In a military situation, undertaking such divergent action would be a dangerous tactical blunder, leaving one exposed, uninformed, and disconnected in enemy territory. So it is our communication with God that must be our central focus. We must recognize his voice and teachings from sitting at his feet, [resting and receiving the better portion]. This will help us manage our time and live fruitful, purpose-filled, effectual lives that bring glory to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Holy Saturday occupies the space in between the two great events that completed God’s plan of redemption and mercy towards mankind: the death of His only Son Jesus and Jesus’ subsequent resurrection. Holy Saturday appears to be a day of inaction. Jesus laid in the tomb and rested from all his works. The disciples rested even while fearful of Jewish and Roman punishment, as it is written in the Luke account of the crucifixion “on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.”[2] But why did God insert this space, making salvation a three day story instead of just a two day story? Surely it was no mere coincidence; God wrote many such three day stories. Jonah was swallowed by a big fish and was not spit out until the third day.[3] Esther implored the Jews of Susa to pray and fast for three days before she petitioned King Ahasuerus to refrain from genocide against Israel.[4] Even Abraham on his way up to sacrifice his son Isaac was not delivered the scapegoat until the third day.[5]
In these three day narratives, God allows space for both rest and listening. Day two enabled Jonah to consider his rebelliousness towards God and on the third day cry out in distress and receive deliverance. Day two enabled the whole nation of Israel to discern the voice of God and Esther to gather strength to confront the king. Day two gave Abraham the opportunity to consider his faith in God, who promised to establish nations through Isaac, and believe for God to make a way in the incredibly difficult task He commanded.[6]
This in-between day exists because His purposes are maximized not when we are always busy, but when we slow down and listen to Him. We witness this most clearly in considering the rest of Jesus, who only spoke what the Father taught Him and did what he saw the Father doing.[7] The second day, Holy Saturday, reminds us that God's most amazing works and grandest designs take place when we humbly relinquish our desire to strive and accomplish apart from His ordaining. Because in our resting and listening, we acknowledge Him as sovereign.
[1] Luke 10:38-42
[2] Luke 23:56
[3] Jonah 1:17
[4] Esther 4:16
[5] Genesis 22:4
[6] Genesis 17:15-21
[7] John 12:49; John 5:19