Sabbath Rest

Sabbath rest isn't something that a lot of people are used to. Even though it is commanded in the 10 commandments to rest on the 7th day a lot of Christians do not take this seriously. This is what the Lord says about it in Exodus 23:12 "Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and donkey may rest and so that the slave born in your household and that the foreigner living among you may be refreshed."

Another Scripture About Rest

Whenever we talk about resting on the 7th day we must also think about these verses as well:

“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, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy." Exodus 8-11

Important Points

There are several important things that we learn from these texts:

1. Rest is Commanded. Resting on the 7th day was so important to God that He put it in the 10 commandments.
2. It's Not Just About You. God asks that everyone/everything "withing your gates". Everyone and everything under your control should rest on the Sabbath. This includes your employees, your animals, your equipment...everything.
3. It's a Holy Day. The Sabbath is not just another day. The Lord "blessed" the 7th day. He made it to be a restful day, a day to connect with Him.
4. Preparation is Important. You are to get all your work done in six days. This means that you need to intentionally get all your work done so you don't have anything to be worried about on Sabbath. 

How to Make it Happen

Sabbath rest can be extremely hard to make happen for you and your family. If you have never done it before you might have to work at it for a while. I grew up keeping Sabbath and I can say that I almost always looked forward to it. Since I grew up in a farming family it was really nice to know that no matter what was going on I could always rest on Sabbath. 

I've found Sabbath to be an important time to reconnect with God. Sometimes during the week I don't make it a large enough priority to spend plenty of time with the Lord. Sabbath gives me the time to do that. 

Sabbath has become a requirement for me and my family. It's not negotiable. Not only has God commanded it our busy lives make it very important. Without this day of rest I think I would burn out quickly. 

Try making Sabbath rest happen for you and your family. It might take a couple tries but I think you will find it to be invaluable not only as a restful time, but a time to reconnect with God.