By Shirley Rosemarie Evans and Cynthia J. Bourne
29 They must realize that the Sabbath is the Lord’s gift to you. That is why he gives you a two-day supply on the sixth day, so there will be enough for two days. On the Sabbath day, you must each stay in your place. Do not go out to pick up food on the seventh day.” 30 So the people did not gather any food on the seventh day.
Exodus 16:29-30 (NLT)
27 And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.
Mark 2:27 (NKJV)
What a loving Father our God is. He thinks of everything that is needed for His children to live rewarding and contented lives. The Sabbath, a gift not earned but freely given. A gift that is given for man to enjoy restoration, allowing us to cease from production, and striving and just to rest in the glorious provision of our gracious God.
What a blessing rest is. When we’ve had a full day of hard work or managing the children or having been in deep concentration on a knotty article at the computer, what bliss to come to a time of quiet, a time when we can lay it all down and empty ourselves.
I like to give gifts. I like to give things that I know the recipient will enjoy and I especially like to give gifts when I know they will be of benefit. I buy gifts with the individual in mind. And that’s just me. The Bible tells us that our God is good all the time. Everything He does is right and good, and naturally, He gives the best gifts.
This wonderful gift from God not only restores our bodies but also restores our spiritual equilibrium with God. Where we may have been overwhelmed during the week with demands on our minds, our strength and our time, God gifted us rest from our labour and restoration both in our bodies and with Him.
In the modern world, we have become so self-sufficient, that the idea of giving up a day of doing things our way to spend it totally doing kingdom business alarms us. What not do the overtime! Who will do the shopping? If God is inherently good and only gives good gifts then His plan of Sabbath rest must likewise be good and because He is a good, good Father He must have taken account of all our needs. Just like He did for the children of Israel when he provided in advance, so they had more than enough.
A reconnection with our maker is essential for our spiritual wellbeing and growth. Without it, we will soon start to draw on our own physical resources and strength to resist the cunning craftiness of the enemy to move us away from our true source of power and we will start to fail.
God so loves us that He has provided for our physical and mental wellbeing, but even more so He provided for our spiritual and emotional wellbeing, that we could ever be whole.
Remember the Sabbath Day to Keep it Holy that is to set it apart. A set-apart day for a set-apart people.
Ask – Why did Moses have to remind the children of Israel that Sabbath was a gift?
Seek –Look to build into your day a Sabbath hour of rest. A time to just sit quietly in the presence of the Lord and read one verse from His word and pray.
Knock – Ask God to reveal afresh to you the gift of His rest as He intended and commit afresh to setting His day apart as holy. “God, forgive us for making ourselves so busy. We throw our lives up to You afresh. Speak to us and help us take the rest You so generously offered to us and be blessed. Amen.”
(Upper Photo by Laura James from Pexels)
(Inner Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash)
