Don’t Miss Out on God’s Plan for Rest

Weekday mornings I hit the snooze button on my alarm as I listen for the coffee pot to make the last bit of brewing noises that let me know the coffee is ready.  As I lay there waiting, I pray.  I wish I could tell you that I always give thanks for one more day, but most often I am praying for the physical strength I need to roll out of bed and start the day.

Just one more day, I tell myself. If I had just one more day to catch up on the weekends, the work week wouldn’t be so hard. If I had just one more day, then I could rest. The problem is there is not just one more day.  There are only seven days in our week, every day with a purpose, and a long list of tasks to complete.

A four-day work week, with a three-day weekend. It’s pretty genius if you ask me. We could basically have two Saturdays to catch up on all the house work, yard work, laundry, errands, grocery shopping, meal prepping, homework helping and don’t forget recreation. Then… I will rest on Sunday.

My super-woman mentality has this all figured out. But I am not superwoman, and every time I put on the cape of perfectionism, power and performance, I fail.

God has a better plan.

The Israelites were enslaved by the Egyptians, then God sent Moses to set them free (Exodus 3-6). Along their journey to freedom, they would often forget the faithfulness of God. They were placing their freedom from slavery in their own hands, under their control.  They believed their way was better.

If we are not careful, we will follow the same pattern of forgetfulness and faithlessness. We may unintentionally leave God out of the equation as we go about solving our own problems with what we think we need or need to do.

I am guilty.  I have relied on my own strength and ways, and miss out on the rest God has for me.

• I need to take on an extra job or work that extra shift to get the bills paid.
• I need to get the chores, all the chores, finished on Sunday, so that my work week isn’t so tiring.
• I need to clean the house from top to bottom so it looks and feels like I’ve got it all together.
• I need to sit down at the computer and get caught up on work before the week begins because there simply isn’t enough time.
• I need to invest in something that will give me the rest and relaxation I so desperately need.
• I need to make sure the kids are involved in [insert tiring, time-taking activity here] so that they succeed in life.

At different times and different seasons of life, God has shown me his way for Sabbath rest.  Spend time with him, follow his ways and rest.

He has set apart a day for you too. A day to spend time with him and to rest from work. God can make sure everything else happens in six days, and if it doesn’t – He has something better for you.

“For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Exodus 20:11

We often forget that following God, keeping his commands is for our good.  He wants us to rest and remember who He is.  He commands that we rest – six days of work, followed by a day of rest.  All of creation was formed from the work of God in six days, then He took a day to rest. Work and rest, it has been God’s plan since the beginning of time.

God’s plan for rest requires that we trust Him to take care of all our needs, successes and failures.

“You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but on the seventh day you must stop working, even during the seasons of plowing and harvest.” – Exodus 34:21

It was difficult for the Israelites to keep to God’s commands. They had failed time and time again as God tested their faith. He asked them to stop working after six days, even during the most crucial periods of harvest.  One day at rest could mean lost crops and the consequences that follow. If they were going to rest and remember God as he commanded, they had to let go of their fears and trust that God would bless their faithfulness.

But what if? There are always a lot of questions when we talk about Sabbath rest.  Remember, It is a gift from God, for our good.

“Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath.” – Mark 2:27

If we set our minds on making sure we follow a set of man-made rules instead of Jesus, we will miss out.

Jesus understood and explained the meaning of the Sabbath best. When the Pharisees challenged Jesus as he healed on the holy day (Matthew 12), he reminded them that the Sabbath is not about a set of rules, but about loving God first. And if a need arises to serve and do good, then by all means, honor  God with your love for others.

The principle of work and rest if found throughout the old and new testaments. Work for six days, then rest. Do what you can, and what you should for six days, then give God the seventh. Worship Him. Honor Him. Spend a day with Him, uninterrupted by work and worry. You may be surprised that he has a way of making sure that what needs to get done does, without overworking yourself. Lastly, remember his first command is to love God first, and the second is to love your fellow man. Don’t get caught up in a set of rules that will keep you from experiencing all Jesus has to offer.