Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Rest From Work

Hebrews 4:9-10 (ESV)
So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, [10]for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.

Where do you draw the line on a day of rest without becoming legalistic? We are to rest from our work as God rested from His.

Mark 2:27-28 (HCSB)
Then He told them, “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. [28] Therefore the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

Jesus throughout the Gospels that doing good on the Sabbath was not violating the intent of the Sabbath. In that case, do we just cease work that brings us profit one day a week. Why a Sabbath?

Exodus 35:2 (HCSB)
For six days work is to be done, but on the seventh day you are to have a holy day, a Sabbath of complete rest to the LORD. Anyone who does work on it must be executed.

…a complete rest to the Lord. God knows our frame (Psalm 103:14). He knows we need time to stop, rest and encompass ourselves with Him (Psalm 46:10). I know very few people who are able to keep up a 7-day work week without eventually breaking. And when we break we take it out on those close to us or on God. When we do that we break the most blatant of the commandments: to love God and to love our neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40).

So why not cease striving and take that day of rest where you rest and recharge in God and in His word. (And yes, please continue to do good – love your neighbor with action).

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