God Wants You to RestSample

The Neglected Gift

Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people . . .” -Mark 2:27 NLT

As a singer-songwriter, music is very important to me. I especially enjoy hearing a wide variety of genres and artists. Knowing this, my loving wife gave me a beautiful digital radio so I could listen to any station I wanted in my home office. There was just one problem—I never used the radio. Somehow, through a mixture of laziness, forgetfulness, and being focused on other things, I never really used the gift or even explored the functions it had. Sounds crazy, I know, but that radio is sitting there idle even as I write.

Many people regularly do the same with one of God’s greatest gifts—the Sabbath, a weekly day of rest. We may be like the Pharisees in today’s Scripture and not fully understand the purpose of this gift. They used the law in Scripture about the Sabbath to try to trap Jesus. These religious leaders accused Jesus’ disciples of not following the law when they picked some grain and ate it. Jesus asked if the Pharisees had never read the Scripture about David eating consecrated bread when he and his companions were hungry (1 Samuel 21:6). He explained that “the Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people,” (Mark 2:27 NLT) which means it’s for us all!

Sometimes, we ask the wrong question—“Do we have to keep the Sabbath?” That’s like me asking my wife, “Do I have to use the radio?” Or we may wonder if rest is really still commanded since we don’t legalistically follow the Mosaic laws. However, I propose that by ignoring the command to rest, we are neglecting a gift from God. We need to unwrap and apply this gift, reading the instructions carefully so we understand how it can be a blessing to us, our families, and our communities. Rest is a gift to us.

David Hoffbrand

How do you feel about observing the Sabbath or a dedicated time of rest? How can you start to apply the principles of Sabbath rest in your life?

Dear God, please help me to see Sabbath rest as You see it and receive it as a gift for my life.