Word of the Week - Sabbath
Jesus said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. "So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27-28
The principal of Sabbath is misunderstood by most. Since it is the 4th commandment and associated with the old covenant most people see it as a constraining and legalistic Jewish religious tradition, or they simply think it is a day to attend church, which is certainly a good thing to do as part of your Sabbath. The truth, as stated in Mark 2:27 above is that Jesus gave us the Sabbath for our own good and health. Since He actually designed and created mankind, He understands what is best for us and desires only the best for His sons and daughters. In Exodus 20:8-11 God makes a clear connection to the Sabbath day by modeling it for us in the Creation story “on the seventh day God the Creator rested”. Sabbath observance therefore involves the affirmation that God is Creator and Sustainer of the world. If God took a day of each week to rest surely we would benefit from doing the same.So it is pretty simple, if we really Trust God for who He is we will Trust that He is our provider and we can rest in Him. He makes it clear that we are here on earth to glorify Him and serve others through our work and being productive, adding value to this world. We should work heartily at all we do with passion and vigor. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters”, Colossians 3:23. But God is so amazing and good that He did not create us to be machines; He created us for soulful fellowship with Him and His creation. He truly desires us to be healthy and enjoy the blessings of life. Since He is our Maker, He knows we need time away from the day to day grind of life to recharge and be refreshed spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally. We all need space between us and our work or else we run the risk of burnout, not to mention the fact that we are more productive and creative when we have time off. This is the principal and gift of Sabbath. To cease from our work to simply rest in knowing God To honor God by putting our faith in action by demonstrating we trust God and desire to set apart one day a week, typically the first day, to refocus your energy and attention on Him and those closest to us. Most Christians who observe the Sabbath on Sunday because that is the day they are off of work but the Sabbath is not necessarily a specific day of the week. For some like pastors who have to work on Sunday, they make other days of the week their Sabbath.If you are not already doing so, I encourage you to take one 24 hour day of your week and make it your Sabbath by not engaging in your day to day work/job. Instead of working spend your time fellowshipping with the Lord, your family and other believers (Church and more) enjoying praise and worship, prayer, bible reading and just hanging out with family. Enjoy a long walk with your wife or some one on one time with your son or daughter playing a game.Rest in Him…. -Duane