You Shall Rest
By Susan Klein
“Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest...”
Exodus 34:21a
By Susan Klein
“Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest...”
Exodus 34:21a
Have you ever stopped to consider that God intentionally gifted us with a day of rest? When I think of the word “Sabbath,” I usually conjure up images of Old Testament Jews sitting down after a long week of planting or harvesting or whatever work they participated in. I daresay it’s not a modern-day image!
The word Sabbath means “to cease, to celebrate, to put down, to take rest, to be still.” God gifted His people with a day that they could put aside their work, their struggles and cares, and just rest…in Him. He wanted His people to have some time to relax, enjoy His creation, and enjoy their Creator! He still wants that for us today.
Most Jewish people celebrate the Sabbath from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, though most Christians observe it on Sunday. The point is, we are to set aside an entire day for physical, mental and spiritual rest. We need to look at it as not only a day, but as a heart attitude. One that says, “I will be restful, even in the midst of busyness and unrest.”
“I can’t waste a whole day doing nothing!” one might argue. That is not the point of Sabbath rest. Notice in the definition it says “to cease,” meaning to cease whatever it is you work at or struggle with all week. It also says “to celebrate.” Have some fun! Play, take a nap, worship, feast, enjoy family or friends in ways that enhance your celebration of God’s gift of Sabbath rest. Another part of the definition is “to be still.” While part of this stillness is resting, another aspect is being still before God. Be attentive to His presence. Let His perfect peace wash over your weary soul like a refreshing spring rain. In order to be productive the other six days of the week, we must take time to rest and be refreshed. If we stay on our hectic pace 24/7, we will eventually crash.
In his book, The Rest of God, Mark Buchanan notes that just as food and water are essential to our bodies, so rest is essential to our whole physical, mental and spiritual being. He states, “In a culture where busyness is a fetish, and stillness is laziness, rest is sloth. But without rest, we miss the rest of God: the rest He invites us to enter more fully so that we might know Him more deeply.”
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
GOING DEEPER:
1. What is your current attitude about being restful?
2. What are some practical ways that you could incorporate Sabbath rest into your lifestyle?
FURTHER READING:
Psalm 62:1, 5; Hebrews 4:9-11
Susan is Oakwood’s Tuesday Morning Women’s Bible Study Coordinator and one of its teachers. She is also involved in youth outreach ministry.
