Resting with God

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God.

Exodus 20:8-10 NKJV

In the act of creation, when God decreed rest, He declared it “holy.” In Egypt, the Israelites had been robbed of their rest: they were forced to work without ceasing, trapped in a system that exploited them. God did not stand idly by; He freed them from slavery and led them into the wilderness, where they could once again observe the Sabbath. In the text of Exodus, the people are asked to observe the day of rest, which eliminates all inequality because it is for everyone. The system of a weekly day of rest for all had no equivalent in any ancient civilization. The Greeks thought the Jews were idle. God gave us a day of rest to interrupt, for our own good, the cycle of work and the consumerist lifestyle in which we are immersed. The day of rest is not tied to a specific day of the week, but it should be distinct from other days, allowing us to do on that day what we are unable to do during the week. When we fail (because, in reality, we do not want to) to perform a certain action, we shift non-existent responsibilities onto time. Compared to previous generations, we have greater opportunities, with tools and resources that make our lives much easier. There is an abundance of apps and services that allow us to do everything conveniently from anywhere.

It’s striking that even though we have more “free” time, we rush frantically from one place to another, from one activity to another, to the serious detriment of our peace of mind. We are so overwhelmed that we struggle to find even ten minutes to pray and read. We should not let our worries (and every day has its own!) influence us to the point of determining who we are or the quality of our lives, to the extent of depriving us of our spiritual relationship with the Creator. If God gave us the “Sabbath,” it is to preserve our freedom in the midst of a relentless society of demands and pressures. And sometimes, without realizing it, the church community can become just as demanding. The apostles rebelled against this by establishing the office of deacons (Acts 6). I wonder if any of them remembered Jesus’ words before the feeding of the five thousand? “‘Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.’ For there were so many people coming and going that they did not even have time to eat” (Mark 6:31). The disciple will know how to discern the moment, but must also recognize his own limitations.

Rest should never be understood as idleness, basking in inactivity. On the very same day that Jesus invited the disciples to rest, He commissioned them to distribute bread and fish to a crowd of more than five thousand men. The day of rest is meant for gazing upon God and marveling at His compassion and holiness (Exodus 31:13). When we step away from the frenzy of daily life, from the stress of church goals to be achieved at all costs, and instead celebrate His compassion, placing ourselves solely and exclusively at His feet like Mary, everything changes for the better. The Master Himself invites us to come to Him and lay our burdens at His feet: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). We need to be with Him, learn His meekness, and experience the lightness of His yoke. Jesus reveals to us the face of God and the art of living with meekness in a world of violence, teaching us to spread meekness around us. A disciple’s weariness can take many forms; however, each person, according to the rhythms of their own activity and vocation, is called to rest in order to recharge and best honor the vocation they have received. So go ahead and enjoy your rest, but take His word with you and set aside time for prayer.

---

Weekly Bible Reading Plan #31

July 27, Psalms 43–45; Acts 27:27–44

July 28, Psalms 46–48; Acts 28

July 29, Psalms 49–50; Romans 1

July 30, Psalms 51–53; Romans 2

July 31, Psalms 54–56; Romans 3

August 01, Psalms 57–59; Romans 4

August 02, Psalms 60–62; Romans 5