Working From Rest: "There is now a sabbath rest for the people of God!"

In the two previous posts I encouraged us to “Ruthlessly eliminate hurry” and “Pray without ceasing” - these are very helpful, I believe, in living at rest.  But they start with us as humans and there is a third, very important aspect that can only start with God.  He gives us rest.

The longest of the Ten Commandments is about sabbath rest. The sabbath laws put work within boundaries, even if resting might require a miracle of provision!  In Egypt, irrigating the fields depended on people continuously working pumps by foot, but the Promised Land was a place flowing with milk and honey.  Making space to rest might be costly but it shows trust in the God who provides.

In our day, many employees are expected to be available on phone and email at all hours, blurring the boundaries of work, rest and family life.  The Covid lockdowns forced many more to make home a workplace.  But the Lord wants us to live free of the entire worldly system of anxious production.

For us, sabbath is not keeping a law or rule but making time for 

• relationships, 
• rest and 
• recreation.  

It means we prioritise time with God and the family and friends we are closest to, by establishing good rhythms and habits in each day, month, week and year.  It means honouring the needs of our bodies and minds, in fact our whole selves, for rest (we are not machines nor are we God!).  It means enjoying the things we like doing for fun.  All these are part of ‘recreation’ - God uses natural and supernatural ways of re-creating us when we take the risk of making time for sabbath.  We are literally making space in our lives for God to act.

When we make this a priority it is easier for us to enter the continuous 24/7 spiritual rest Jesus has purchased for us by His death and resurrection.  

In Hebrews 3:7 to 4:13 the writer explains that the Israelites failed to enter the Promised Land because they did not trust God, and in the same way we might fail to enter the 24/7 rest that God promises.  

Sabbath is a helpful rhythm in our lives but, more important, sabbath in the Law is a sign pointing to the peace that comes through Jesus, when God is at work in and through us.  In Phil 2:13 Paul encourages us that the Spirit will direct and energise everything we do, whether using natural gifts working for a living or exercising supernatural gifts.  So we enter this 24/7 rest only by receiving the Holy Spirit and following Him.

- Chris Horton
(Part 3 of 3)