DO I NEED A DAY OF REST?

BY PASTOR BRAD LIEBE

I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD; FOLLOW MY DECREES AND BE CAREFUL TO KEEP MY LAWS. KEEP MY SABBATHS HOLY, THAT THEY MAY BE A SIGN BETWEEN US. THEN YOU WILL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD.

EZEKIEL 20:19-20 (NIV)

Genesis Chapter 1 tells us how God created the heavens and earth. If there is a moment I would like to go back and see, outside of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, it would be when God created the world. Seeing God speak light into existence and call it good would be incredible. Could you imagine watching God bring the land up from the water, creating dry ground? How amazing would it be to see the species of animals, fish, birds, trees, flowers, bushes, and grass emerge from nothing and populate the earth?

Yet on day seven, God does something unusual, He rests. He worked for six days and then rested on the seventh. Isaiah 40 tells us that God never grows weak or weary, so the purpose of the Sabbath was not for Him but for us. Jesus affirmed that when He came to earth.

On one Sabbath, Jesus and His disciples walked through a grain field. His disciples were picking off heads of grain and eating them, which caused the Pharisees to scoff because they called it “harvesting,” a form of work. The Pharisees had misconceptions about the work that could be done on the Sabbath. For instance, some believed taking too many steps on the Sabbath would be considered work.

Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”

Jesus told the Pharisees that God did not make the Sabbath and declared, “I need someone to keep this day holy; I’ll make humans!” Instead, God created the Sabbath for our benefit, to help us.

How should a Sabbath day be structured? It is a day of rest but not laziness. On our Sabbath day, we should worship the Lord, read and meditate on His words, practice communion by remembering Christ’s death and resurrection, ask God to speak to us, and spend time praying. We should practice solitude and silence on the Sabbath to hear His voice.

Nothing is wrong with doing good or serving others on the Sabbath; it should be an extension of our worship. However, our Sabbath should be focused on God. He wants you to rest so you can recharge to do what He wants. He desires to speak to you and wants you to take the time to listen.

Moving Forward

Schedule a day for your Sabbath and create a plan for the day. Stay focused on God; your Sabbath will be refreshing, invigorating, and eye-opening.