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SCRIPTURE

You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day must be a Sabbath day of complete rest, a holy day dedicated to the Lord.

Exodus 35:2


OBSERVATION

The Sabbath. A day of rest. God places great value on this concept. In Exodus alone, the Sabbath is mentioned 16 times. In the midst of building the tabernacle, God's people were supposed to take a day to rest. In the midst of plowing and harvest seasons, God's people were to take a day of rest. What's amazing to me is that this idea of the Sabbath is even placed in the 10 Commandments. The idea of Sabbath rest is a key to connecting with God.

The concept of rest here isn't simply laying on the couch watching football. Many times, that is what my "rest" looks like. Rather, it is supposed to be a "holy day, a Sabbath of rest to the Lord." Sabbath seems to be a concept where we take our hands off our frantic lives and acknowledge that God is in control. Additionally, Sabbath rest tells us that our identity is not wrapped up in our activities, availability or actions, but rather it is found in being children of the Living God.

APPLICATION

Let go! Turn off the phone. Put away the laptop. Shut off the TV. Stop managing the busyness of life. Stop working! Just for one day. One day out of seven. 14% of my week. Stop. Pause. Rest. Acknowledge that we are not in control, God is. Acknowledge that our worth is not wrapped up in our activities, but in the saving grace of a loving heavenly Father.

PRAYER

Father, forgive me for ignoring the Sabbath. Forgive me for allowing my life to become too full to follow your command to rest in You. Help me to let go of all that I feel like I need to manage and control on a day to day basis.