Rest

https://odb.org/MY/2021/09/26/rest-well

While I agree that enforced rest as in the Old Testament sabbath may be too restrictive compared to the relationship based rest in Christ, I feel there is merit in enforced rest.

Even in these modern times, the sabbath is still practiced rigorously by religious Jews especially in Israel and over there, with state support. So let me relate – in my line of work, when we deal with Israeli lawyers on documentation, our interaction with them whether face to face or via video or tele conferencing is usually limited to Mondays to Thursdays. We can do off site retreats but they will usually religiously leave by Thursday evening to meet the deadline start of the sabbath on Friday evenings. In Israel, for those observing the sabbath, all work related activities cease and I understand it can be as extreme as pushing the lift button. But the beauty of it is that the day is spent reading scriptures with family and reminding their children the goodness of God in their lives from the time of their forefathers till now.

As believers of the faith, we do not have to observe the sabbath but I think it is good to have a day of rest among us where we can focus on Jesus and lay off work or even ministry. Sundays do not really work as the church is the busiest on Sundays and most of us nap or catch up on household chores on a Sunday afternoon. Therefore a good time of rest should be on a Saturday and it could be just a few hours in the afternoon spent with Jesus that we can truly rest under His yoke. A time when we can take His yoke upon us to learn from Him for Je promised that His yoke is easy and His burden light.

Perhaps an enforced rest like that of the Jewish sabbath is unachievable by us in the modern context out of Israel and is also no longer required under the New Covenant. But the benefits of an enforced rest remains in both physically for our body and mind and spiritually for our spirit. Coupled with resting in Jesus as taught by the Lord Himself, we will have the best of both worlds! Rest and rest well. We need to enforce that time to rest in the Lord, to rest in God, on top of our daily quiet time. A time spent in His presence, a time to chill with the Lord, to just relax in Him, to soak in His love and compassion.