“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, work, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates.” (Exodus 20:8-10)
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” – Jesus (Matt. 11:28)
The Lenten season is 40 days and 6 Sabbath days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. The Sabbath days were not counted because The Lord’s day was top priority. It was a rhythm established by God the Creator in the very beginning. Everything and everyone needs time to rest. But the Sabbath was and is much more than that. It is about declaring trust and keeping focus. It allows us a moment, on a regular basis, to step back and remember who is God and who is not. It is not just for the pleasure of restoration but also clarity. It has deliberately been designed into the overall plan for each of us to STOP whatever we are doing in our busy life and remember who is in charge and why we do whatever we are doing.
This is so vitally important as we become all we were created to be. It is one of the most repeated commands in Scripture and the only one that comes with a regular schedule of practice. God knew that we would always have the temptation to keep on working…trying…striving…achieving…not slowing down…not stopping.
“I don’t have time!” “Maybe later” “If I don’t do it, it won’t get done”
God loves work and hard workers to be sure. That is also part of the design. Sabbath is a reminder that, in the end, it is not up to you. It is a reminder that we are totally dependent on Him and that we can step back and know that He is God. It is a reminder that the reason we work…the reason we live and breathe…the reason for our Lenten sacrifice is for His glory.
So, Jesus says to you today, “Come to me…and I will give you rest”
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