The Ten Commandments: An Expression of God's LoveSample

Rest in God

On the seventh day of creation, God rested. He rested and blessed the seventh day. In the Ten Commandments, He calls us to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. God has designed us for Sabbath rest. We need it. We need one day in seven to stop working and rest. 

The point of the Sabbath is not a bunch of man-made rules about what you can and cannot do. The Pharisees made that mistake. The point is simple: Sabbath rest is God’s gift to you. Receive the gift. Enjoy it. Take a break from work routines. Relax. Rest.

God has designed you for a true Sabbath rest. But what is a true Sabbath rest? First, it is the absence of work. Second, it is the presence of worship. The absence of work means you cease from whatever activities constitute work for you—your job, housework, bills, or errands. The presence of worship means a day lived in God’s presence, a non-hectic, non-harried day to pray and play.

People live for the weekend, but the weekend doesn’t refresh. People are just as soul-weary on Monday mornings as they were on Friday afternoons. Why is this? The problem is that there is no true Sabbath. They have the absence of work without the presence of worship. If you fill the weekend with entertainment, sports, recreation, and work on the house, then your spirit is never refreshed. Your soul is never restored. You need to let God breathe life into your soul.

Sabbath rest, regular Sabbath rest, true Sabbath rest, is God’s gift to us. It is God’s antidote to keep us from ruining our lives with hurry and busyness and overcommitment. It is a gift that is absolutely essential for our physical, emotional, and spiritual health.