Are You Rested?

3 “Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the Lord in all your dwelling places.” Leviticus 23:3

12 At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” 3 He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? 6 I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. 7 And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

Matthew 1-8

Although it sounds counterintuitive, the goal of a marathon runner is to remain rested while he is running. You want to be at a pace which allows you to speed things up when you need to, or to slow them down as the course demands. Being rested and being at rest are two different things. You can be in motion, and yet without burden.

The Sabbath is so much more than a day on your calendar. The human calendar is of little significance to God’s eternal plans. The Sabbath is also more than a set of rules. It is the direction that your heart takes when you realize that the work of your salvation does not depend upon you. It begins with God providing for your livelihood and ends with God providing for your life eternal.

8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. 9 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10 for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. 11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. (Hebrews 4:8-11)

How can you Sabbath on a regular basis?

1. Set time to rest in God’s presence. Resting in the Lord is about relying upon Him and knowing that He is taking care of your needs. Time block in your schedule a period of the week to do this. It could be a Sunday, it would be a Saturday, it could be a Monday, or even a Friday. But you have to feel what it is like to not rely upon your own hands for provision and accomplishment. You should physically take the time to rest because your body will sync up with your mind, your emotion, and your soul.

2. Put your ordinary work aside. Even Jesus worked on the Sabbath, but it was for the purpose of His Father and not just ordinary work. If you are striving in your business or in your job 24/7 and are not releasing your work into the Lord’s hands, then you are likely not resting correctly. Only you can determine what your ordinary work might be, and when you decide that you are going to lay this aside for a day because the Lord is taking care of things, then you are allowing yourself to rest in Him.

3. Spend meaningful time with the Lord. God is giving you a full life while you are in this world. You have a family, friends, co-workers, acquaintances. You have a profession, community service, organizations and commitments. Yes, you are busy! But all of these things are temporary for about 80 years. Being with the Lord is eternal, and He is wanting to be present with you when you set a side the time to make it Holy for Him. He wants to be with you in this present life and the life to be.

Father,

I hear you! I know that my schedule is full and that I have probably too many things on my plate. But I will make the time to be with you and to rest in Your presence. As I run this race, allow me to be at rest knowing that you’ve got me. Allow me to be at peace knowing that you are taking care of all my needs. I have entered your Sabbath rest and will continue to do so by obedience and not by effort.