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Sabbath
One of the Ten Commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai was regarding rest. God wanted His people to take one day a week to stop, rest, and restore their energy before working again. Clearly rest is important to God. He knows that we can’t work 24/7 – we’re human and we’ll burn out. Sometimes when we think about the Sabbath we can become legalistic. We take that day of rest because we think it’s what we have to do. But when we understand God’s heart towards us, we understand His command to rest. Work is important, and a good thing, but so is rest. Jesus said to His disciples: ‘Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile’ (Mark 6:31 NLT). God’s command to rest is more than a law. It’s given to us out of love and understanding. Plus, it’s an opportunity for us to trust Him more. When we stop, we have to trust that God will keep things going, that He will provide when we’re not trying to provide for ourselves. When Jesus came, He broke the power of the law. In fact, He offers us continual rest in Himself. He said: ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest…I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls’ (Matthew 11:28-29 NLT). Resting doesn’t mean we do nothing at all. It gives us a chance to do the things we love to do. Recreation is a time to renew our energy and nurture our most valuable relationships. So, let’s make sure we’re taking time to rest.
What Now?
Take one day this week to rest and do the things you love to do. Ask God to help you trust that He will provide for you throughout the day.
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