February 4 - The Seventh Day of the Week, Sabbath Equals a Day of Rest

Cindy Rae Fancher
10 hours ago
3 min read

Do you think enjoying the Sabbath equals a day of rest?

And the Lord said to Moses, Say to the children of Israel that they are to keep my Sabbaths; for the Sabbath day is a sign between me and you through all your generations; so that you may see that I am the Lord who makes you holy. So you are to keep the Sabbath as a holy day; and anyone not honouring it will certainly be put to death: whoever does any work on that day will be cut off from his people. Six days may work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of complete rest, holy to the Lord; whoever does any work on the Sabbath day is to be put to death. And the children of Israel are to keep the Sabbath holy, from generation to generation, by an eternal agreement. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever; because in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he took his rest and had pleasure in it. (Exodus 31.12-17 Bible in Basic English (BBE))

So many people no longer keep the Sabbath holy. We have grown very nonchalant about Sunday. Businesses are open, and people have to work. Do they plan for other days to be days of rest, when they completely set aside all work and refresh themselves? Many probably do not. Few abide by what the Lord spoke to Moses about. Few people fully observe the seventh day, or any day of the week, as holy and reserved for nonwork activities. Think of your Sabbath days. What do you do? Do you rest to recover and be ready for the next few days? Do you feel you can or want to change? Do you think that if you were more rested and grounded in the Lord, your life would be easier and your decisions more straightforward?

Prayer:

I probably fall into the category of people who rarely reserve the Sabbath for worship and rest. I am sorry. This is a challenge for me, Lord. My heart knows what I should and should not do on your day. But I find myself pulled to accomplish something on your day. Whether working at my job or around the house, I feel that to keep up, I must work. People depend on me, and I don't think I can manage without doing something every day. I would be grateful for your wisdom in this. Please help me understand what I should and should not do on your day. I am not trying to be willful. I am trying to make life work. Your help would be greatly appreciated. Help me think of new ways to reserve my time for you. You are precious to me, and I don't want to disrespect you. I pray for your help in understanding what I should do to care for myself and anyone who depends on me. Help me practice and understand that the Sabbath equals a Day of Rest. Amen.