A True Day of Rest

Prayer: Lord, show us how to take a true Sabbath day of rest.

Scripture: For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a day of Sabbath rest to the LORD. (Exodus 35:2)

Neil is a high school English teacher who facilitates an Encouragement (faculty share, care and prayer) group at his school once a week. Neal noticed that one of the teachers who regularly met for prayer seemed to be physically ill quite often. He knew she was a strong believer and very active in youth ministry at her church. As prompted by the Holy Spirit, one day Neil asked her, “Do you ever rest? Do you ever take a REAL Sabbath day of rest?” She assured Neil she did so he asked her what an average Sunday was like for her. This was her Sabbath agenda: 1) prepare for and teach Sunday school, 2) attend a one to two hour worship service, 3) prepare and serve lunch for her family, 4) do several loads of laundry, 5) take a two hour nap, 6) prepare and serve supper, and 7) go back to church and attend the one to two hour evening church service.

Neil was exhausted after she got done explaining it to him. Her “day” of rest was actually “two hours” of rest. What does your Sabbath day of rest look like? What agendas do you have that are more important than God’s instructions to rest? We are made in the image of God and the Bible tells us He rested. Where is our rest? We need the courage to start resting. We must set our jobs, families, selves, and the world down. We must turn off our computers and TVs. We must stop constantly carrying so much. It’s alright to carry things but not all the time!

God wants us to rest in his arms. He wants to take our empty hands and dance with us. He can’t grab our hands to lead us if we are constantly carrying something. We must let go and let him lead. God has not given us enough time to fulfill His agenda, our agenda, and the world’s agenda at school. We cannot live three lives at the same time. Watch what God will do when we let him lead. As educators, we have all spent time waiting for obedience from strong-willed, self-willed students who have their own personal agendas and the agendas their peers have given them. God is now patiently waiting for us.

Reflection: What is my usual Sabbath day agenda? Is this the Sabbath God wants for me? What does He want me to keep doing? What does He want me to stop doing?

Copyright Don Clark. Email [email protected]