Each one of us has experienced the benefits of good rest. Rest gives us renewed energy and clarity of mind. It also prepares us to work hard and participate in all that God has in store for us. We know that rest is beneficial for us, but it is not just beneficial. Rest is also a command in Scripture that God has given His people.
After God rescued the Israelite people from Egyptian slavery in the book of Exodus, He gave them instructions. These instructions were given to Moses to give to the people of Israel. Each one of these instructions was given so that God's people would know how to live in a way that they would honor God and thrive as they obeyed Him. These instructions from God are known today as the Ten Commandments. The fourth commandment God gave the Israelites was about rest. He told them, “You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God” (verses 9-10). This call to the Israelites was a call to set aside time every week to stop working. Instead of striving and working, the Israelites were called to rest. This time was a time for them not only to recharge but also to remember the Lord. It was a time for them to remember God's faithfulness to them and trust Him to continue providing for them.
Will you choose to take God’s command to find time to rest seriously and obey? This command to rest is a gift for us, and when we obey, we reap the benefits. As we consider how beneficial rest is for us, this command from God will become not a duty but a delight to obey. May each one of us experience the delight that comes from obeying God’s command to make time for rest.
When it comes to God's command to rest, are you ready to choose obedience? Commit today to take God's command to rest seriously. Spend some time praying. Thank God for the gift of rest. Tell Him that you are ready to take seriously His call to rest and commit to finding ways to rest amidst the busyness of your week.
1Then God gave the people all these instructions:
2 “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.
3 “You must not have any other god but me.
4 “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. 6 But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.
7 “You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.
8 “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 You have six days each week for your ordinary work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.
12 “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
13 “You must not murder.
14 “You must not commit adultery.
15 “You must not steal.
16 “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.
17 “You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.”
