The Sabbath rest…what does it really mean for you and I?
Do you know how to rest? Do you understand that God desires for you to rest? Join us this Wednesday evening after prayer when we will study the fourth commandment –
Exodus 20:8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
The word Sabbath, implies intermission.
It means to stop and pause and put away.
Basically, we need to turn the world off for a special moment of time to spend with our Lord!
Listen, God wants us all to take a break, to spend time with Him, and to be involved in things that bring Him glory.
God wants us to bind ourselves together in our relationship to Him so that we can find direction from Him, that is His will for us, and rest from the problems we are deeply involved in living in this complex world.
Jesus told us we would have tribulation in this world – John 16:33.
But Jesus also said, be of good cheer, I have overcome the world…verse 33.
Jesus commands us to Matthew 11: 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
The yoke was basically a wooden steering arm connected to a harness, combining two animals together, the master oxen with the younger calf so the younger can learn how powerful the master is and thereby follow where the master goes.
So too us, we yoke ourselves to Jesus Christ, we must go where He goes.
He wants to do the leading in our lives because His plan and provision for us is always perfect!
God knows that we will burn ourselves out if we keep pushing ourselves seven days per week, so He made a day for us to say….”Today I rest, I am taking a break, no calls today, today is for my family and my God. And by doing this I am going to let everyone know this is who I am, and I am NOT going to compromise this day!”
Listen carefully, the Lord God almighty commands us to have a day off!
So why do people struggle with this blessed commandment? Join us this Wednesday at the chapel after prayer on this blessed subject of rest!