Refusing to Rest

There is great wisdom in learning to rest. In fact, one of the Ten Commandments is about resting on the Sabbath day (Deut. 5:12-15). This is not a command to simply go to church on Sundays. This is a command to make sure that your Sabbath day (and you must take one every week) is different from every other day. Of all the sins we commit, this one is certainly one we do not take seriously. Yet God views all sin in the same light.

Resting is not the same as being lazy. Rather, our weekly Sabbath is a time for us to remember and reflect on God and to take a step back from our busy lives. Regardless of how much work you accomplish today, you will always have more tomorrow. Psalm 46:10 declares, "He says, 'Be still, and know that I am God.'" It is in the stillness and silence that God asks us to dwell on Him.

God wants us to have active lives, but He also demands times of rest. J.C Ryle writes, "Let us pray for a right understanding of the law of the Sabbath. Of all the commandments that God has given, none is more essential to the happiness of man, and none is so frequently misrepresented, abused, and trampled under foot."

Rest is a gift from God, not a burden. God is not amused when we reject His gifts. Exodus 31:14 states, "Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it is to be put to death; those who do any work on that day must be cut off from their people." God takes the Sabbath seriously. His wrath remains on the who do not.

Living Life