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By Mike Caton

Exodus 34:21, “Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest.”

The command to observe a day of rest is not just a Law of Moses command. This was instituted in creation, when God rested on the seventh day. To be sure, it was not because God was tired, though he did have a busy and productive week, creating everything from light to man and everything in between. God rested to set an example for us, and to set a precedent. Man is not designed to go all day every day. Man needs time to rest and to recharge. It is just that simple.

And though it is not mentioned explicitly here, one of the ways we are to rest and recharge is spiritually. In the Old Testament Law, the seventh day, the Sabbath, was not just a day of rest, it was a day of worship as well. It was the day the Jews were specifically told to worship and honor the Lord. Exodus 20:8-11, part of the Ten Commandments tells the people not to work, and to set that day apart as a holy day to the Lord. When Jesus arose from the grave on the first day of the week, the Christians changed the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday.

It is a simple fact that we need to rest, to unplug, to disconnect from the world from time to time and focus on our physical, emotional, and spiritual health. And the way to do that is to focus more on the Lord. Let me just ask, do you take time off? Why not? Do you think the world will grind to a halt without your efforts? I suppose more of us are guilty of this than we would like to admit.

Father, help me rest in you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Mike Caton is the preacher at Mount Olive Church of Christ in Belhaven. He volunteers at the Ponzer Fire Department and works as a full time AEMT with Hyde County EMS. Follow Mount Olive Church of Christ on Facebook for daily devotions.

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