Sabbath

Today's subject is the Sabbath. In reading about the Sabbath, I thought that it was interesting that the plan is that for twenty-four hours, we should rest. Why would we rest for a day and not work? Because even God rested. In life, it is easy to get caught up in what we have to do. Between work, school, church, home life and social life, it is difficult to find a balance. There is just not enough time in the week -- and we're supposed to take one seventh of the week out? How are we to get our work done?

That is the problem that the Israelites had. When God gave them manna, they tried to collect it all at once and do as much as they could so that they didn't have to worry about it the next day. But any extra manna would not last through the night. So how about on the Sabbath? Ah, God did an additional miracle every week. On the day before the Sabbath, God commanded them to collect enough for that day and for the Sabbath so that they would not have to work on the Sabbath and they could rest. He made the manna last for two days instead of one.

Is it important that we rest one day a week? Just because God demonstrated it through the Israelites and it is one of the ten commandments given to Moses listed in Exodus 20, does that mean that it still applies today? Yes! This time of rest is more than just a day without work -- it is a time for renewing our commitment to God, seeking His face, remembering who we are and why were made, and remembering who He is and what that does for us.

I liked the last paragraph in today's devotional so much that I think I'll just quote it:

"Sunday generously hands us hours to look into the eyes of those we love. We have time for loving and being loved. Rhythmically, the sabbath reminds us that we belong to the worldwide family of God. We are citizens of another kingdom -- a kingdom not ruled by the clock and the tyranny of the urgent. God's sabbath reality calls us to trust that the Creator can manage all that concerns us in this world as we settle into his rest."

Reflection Questions

Q: What makes a sabbath day nourishing and replenishing to you?
A: It is refreshing to set aside all of my worries and to follow the command of 1 Peter 5:7 where it says, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." It is good to know that while I may think that I can take care of myself through hard work and diligence, it is truly God who can grant me peace and rest. His plans are without fault, and it is good to remember that when I seek his face and walk in the center of His will, I have nothing to fear:

"If God is for us, who can be against us?"
-Romans 8: 31b

Q: What happens to you when you go without regular rhythms that allow you to rest in God?
A: When I miss a Sunday or a Wednesday or any other service, I feel that I have missed an opportunity to gather with God's people and worship Him. It's like going without a meal: I'm left hungry and thirsty for God's Word. If I don't go to church or spend time privately in God's Word, my whole week is thrown off. My life is not my own, and when I try to live it by myself, I feel incomplete. God has made us to live in constant communion with Him. When Jesus was hanging on the cross, the pain of the physical punishment wasn't what hurt him the most -- it was the immense separation from God that he was taking on for all people in that moment. He cried, "Father, father, why have you forsaken me?" Being away from God, even for a moment, was the most painful form of suffering that he experienced. I try not to miss any opportunity to gather with God's people, because when I do, I just don't feel complete.