Every seven days, we begin a “new” week. Our seven-day week usually includes 5 or 6 days of work and 1 or 2 days of rest. If you are unlucky, you have to work round the week and don’t have one day of the week set apart for rest. Hopefully, you are still able to make out time to rest regularly.

The Bible teaches the principle of rest and the pattern of “sevens” as a means to honor God and revitalize our lives. God created the earth in “6 days” and then rested on the seventh day, thus instituting the Sabbath as a day set apart for rest and worship. God’s command to the Jews was to strictly do no work on the Sabbath.

The Sabbath calls us to take a break from exerting ourselves and turn our attention to something which replenishes us. All kinds of work drain our physical and emotional energy. But reconnecting with our Creator and our loved ones replenishes our energy. That is what the Sabbath should be spent on – worship and nurturing relationships.

Furthermore, the Sabbath is symbolic of our dependence on God, as we acknowledge that our efforts are not all we need to accomplish our plans and desires. It achieves rest for our bodies and souls, but also turns our focus to our Creator as we seek to renew our relationship with Him and receive His guidance.

In reality, the Sabbath is a reminder of how we should live every day, taking regular breaks to renew our strength (such as night sleep or regular work breaks) and worshipping our God and Maker as we connect with Him through prayer and reading His Word. It is the pattern of life that guarantees maximum efficiency snd fulfillment of purpose.

Okay…I’ll stop here for today…and continue elsewhere tomorrow…have yourself a proper weekend rest!