8-9-2019

 Good Morning All,

     Exodus 23:12; “For six days you will do your work, but on the seventh day you must not work. Then your ox and donkey can rest. The slaves born in your household and foreigners will also be refreshed.”

    As far as I know, most of the “blue laws” are gone or at least ignored.  The blue laws were laws that enforced the closure of businesses on Sundays.  This included many retail stores, movie theaters, the sale of alcohol and other things were prohibited.  This was, in many ways, an effort to force people to go to church and to be with their family.  These laws existed for a long time but it soon became obvious that you cannot force people to do things they have no desire to do.  These also changed as our society and economy changed away from an 8- hour, 6 –day a week existence to a 24 hour, 7 day a week existence.

    As we look at the Sabbath for a moment, we need to see how Scriptures lays it out for us.  Unlike the Pharisees, and many who still see the command to keep the Sabbath as a harsh command, the keeping of the Sabbath was about rest.  It was never about the command to worship.  As we look at the Sabbath, we can see it through three “tenses”; the past, the present and the future.

    As you read this, don’t think in terms of “have to” but in terms of “get to”.  We first see the Sabbath in the story of the creation.  “In six days did the LORD God create the earth and on the seventh day he rested.”  This is part of the rhythm of life that God gives us.  He gives us a day to stop our work to rest and while we rest; we can focus on our relationship with God.  It also allows us to focus on what God has done and continues to do for us.  We recall his creative works which give to us life.

    We should look at it through the present tense.  How does our life go today?  To say that life has stress is an understatement.  We run ourselves ragged trying to keep up with what we think we “need”.  The devil and our sinful nature really feed into this.  This is where our drive to “be better” can drive beyond what is healthy.  This “stress to success” takes a horrific toll on many of our relationships.  It destroys marriages, families, friendships, personal health and, worst of all, we destroy our relationship with God.  God gives to us rest; rest from the frazzled world, rest to restore our soul.  This rest lets us take that deep breath and look around and see where our true goals for our life should be; with our God and with our family.

    The third tense is the future.  This is where we see eternal rest with Jesus in heaven.  The cares and struggles of this life are all gone and rather than battle and wrestle with them; we can lay them aside and rest in his glory.

    So, try to keep a Sabbath.  Try to make a day where you rest with your family and with God.  If you can’t work a day try a half a day or a third of a day but try to find the time to rest in God’s grace and in his mercy.  Luxuriate in the grandeur of his love.

Gracious Lord, you give us the rest that only you can give.  You bring us the sacred time for us to rejuvenate and to refresh our soul.  Give us the wisdom to accept this day as a gift and not a command.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace             

Pastor Bret