Sabbath: Reality Check
Daily Lesson for Sabbath 28th of March 2026
Image © Pacific Press
Read for This Week’s Study: Revelation 3:14-22; Revelation 4:9-11; Genesis 2:7; Genesis 3:8-10; Jeremiah 31:3-4; John 15:1-11; Romans 8:9-11.
Memory Text:
“ ‘As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love’ ” (John 15:9, NKJV).
How would you describe your relationship with God today? Is it vibrant and strong? Do you spend time investing in this relationship, searching His inspired Word, and talking to Him as a Friend? If so, how much time do you spend doing it?
Also, are you compelled to share with others about your relationship with God because it’s the most wonderful relationship in your life? Or, instead, has your relationship with God waned over time? It’s there, yes, and you check in from time to time, but to be honest, it’s not as strong as it used to be. Or, perhaps, you’re somewhere in between, what the Bible calls “lukewarm” (Revelation 3:16).
Have you ever wondered if angels ponder why we don’t live in adoration of our Savior and Redeemer, with hungry hearts and eager minds to grow closer to God every day? But, truly, a relationship with God changes _everything_—both here and into eternity.
This week, let’s consider the current state of our relationship with God and what the Bible’s advice is for us. Indeed, we can’t move from where we are to someplace better until we take an honest reality check of ourselves and listen to the solution that Jesus describes.
I have not had time to read an overview of this new series of lessons, but from the outset the topic of relationships looks both interesting and challenging. You won’t be surprised if I tell you that one of the first things that came to mind was a branch of mathematics called network theory. So don’t be surprised if I come up with some application of directed-dependency graphs. On the other hand, I have a long-term relationship with Carmel. I first went out with her in 1966 and if you do that maths (sorry, arithmetic), that is starting to sound a long time ago. Did our relatationship grow or did it just hang together.
One thing I think is important right at the outset is that our relationship with God does not take place in a vacuum, but rather in a matrix where we interact with others. We are connected in a network where the vertices are people and the edges relationships. Growing a relationship with God has an effect not only on us, but on the people we are most closely connected too.
Enough maths. Here is a little challenge. How do you describe the relationship between you and God to someone unfamiliar with Christian terminology?
Any human relationship which has no room for growth is bound to fail eventually. Relationships ought to be dynamic in order to thrive or at least survive in the turbulent world that we live in. Relationships need to grow in several dimensions: understanding, communication, trust, patience, humility, kindness, love, forgiveness, and endurance. Failure to grow in some of these virtues, the relationship will stagnate, decline and ultimately fail. Relationships do not grow naturally! They need to be cultivated, developed, and cherished. Like living things, which require an enabling environment for their survival, relationships are even more sensitive to environmental suitability. We must invest the fruit of the spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control – Galatians 5:22-23 ) if we expect any relationship to yield a higher rate of return. This is a heavy spiritual investment.
Praise be to God, that our relationship with Him is not like a human relationship. God never give up on us until we walk away from Him. The door for growth is never closed. At every opportunity, God wants to rekindle the relationship with us. God is always inviting us back to a meaningful and purposeful relationship with Him. For this reason, He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to reconcile us with Him (2 Corinthians 5:19). We cannot take this relationship for granted. We must be intentional. We must periodically examine the strength of our relationship with Him. This relationship is worth every sacrifice we possibly can make.
“Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)