Definition: is the action of rest; repose; inactivity; reliance; confidence. That which is not in action or in the process of growth.
Scripture:Genesis 2:2-3 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
Exodus 23:12 “Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and so that the slave born in your household and the foreigner living among you may be refreshed.”
Welcome to the Word of the Week. Weekly podcast to enhance your study of the Word of God.
I am your host Orine Newton.
Subscribe and support our show. Email me at candonewton@gmail.com. God Bless You!!
Support the Show.
Definition: is the action of rest; repose; inactivity; reliance; confidence. That which is not in action or in the process of growth.
Scripture:Genesis 2:2-3 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
Exodus 23:12 “Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and so that the slave born in your household and the foreigner living among you may be refreshed.”
THOUGHT
If you would rather listen to the transcript rather than read it please click here and hit PLAY!
For you who have been following me these last few weeks, you know that I have been engaged in helping my family with a transitional situation. This week God gave me the command to REST!! I realized that it was as much a command for me as it was the “Word” that I needed to share for your consideration.
Why did this word looming so large for me?
The command to REST came so clearly because I had, in my ignorance, chosen to disregard the instructions of the scripture as well as the signals that my body was sending. For example, I was still feeling tired after a full night’s sleep. Doing simple tasks felt like a major undertaking and I had difficulty sleeping because of all the things rushing through my mind.
Taking time to relax by watching a show, listening to a book, or doing a little gardening provided some relief, but I did not feel refreshed. It was then that I realized that relaxing is not resting. My mind was still engaged in planning, observing, listening and working.
As defined above “resting means inactivity”. RESTING requires me to have confidence that the world will not dissolve or cease to exist if I take a break from it. The SABBATH was a command for us to do. We are to observe God and abstain from labor for an entire day. That means to REST for 24 hours.
The last time that I remember honoring the Sabbath as a full day of rest was when I was a child. In our home, meals were cooked, and clothes were laid out on Saturday as we prepared for Sunday to be observed as a day of worship and rest. On Sunday, before we had a television, the family would eat a slice of toast or bowl of cereal for breakfast, go to church that morning, and return to heat our dinner, eat and rest for the remainder of the day. The children played while the adults visited, slept or watched us play. At the end of the day, we got ready for bed and awoke the next day to begin the week. Even if we stayed at church all day, we were doing so with baskets of prepared food and the intention of worship while resting from our labors. After we got our first tv, the evening would be spent watching the Evening News, Walt Disney, Ed Sullivan and Bonanza. Then we got ready for bed.
Today, however, for many church attendees, the Sabbath means church service that requires as much work as any other day of labor. We are recruited to become “workers in the church” because the church has become a “business”. On the Sabbath, the church committees maybe cooking, meeting or planning for a special day, or program to raise funds; the ushers may be folding programs; and the finance committee is busy counting the money for deposit to the bank. The pastor not only officiates over the service, meets the guests, and talks to the members, but may do so while preparing to lead another service at their church or at another church.
Now, the SABBATH is a day when church members are torn between attending church, watching football or engaging in a host of other social activities. Most of us have lost sight of observing the SABBATH as a day of Worship and REST!!
Even though I consciously did not work yesterday, I found it difficult to get more than 12 hours of rest and that included the time that I slept last night.
I realize that I am not struggling through this dilemma alone. If any of this information pertains to you, I want to challenge you to observe one day of REST a week. If you are a “church worker”, try either the day before or the day after your church observed SABBATH to REST.
I believe that we will all benefit from this God-ordained opportunity to feel refreshed and more alive.
Please: Send me a note at candonewton@gmail.com letting me know how implementing a day of rest has benefited you!!