Today I read Leviticus 22-23
Focal Scripture: Leviticus 23:32 “it will bea Sabbath of complete rest for you, and you must practice self-denial. You are to observe your Sabbath from the evening of the night day of the month until the following evening.”
God is making it a priority here to tell the Israelites that they must spend time in rest. It is not a suggestion but a command. The only work they are expected to partake on that day is preparing an offering before the Lord. Why does Moses and the Israelites have to be reminded to rest?
The answer is pretty simple. The busier one gets the easier it is to forget how blessed one is by God. The Israelites will be busy walking, working, and sacrificing. That can leave little time for reflection and genuine worship. God wanted them to have uninterrupted time to focus.
There is a great lesson to learn here for believers. I have learned over the years that church and church people believe the busier you are the better things are in your personal life and even the church life. However, busy can mask lots of problems. Both individually and corporately.
Rest, silence, and intentional focus on God is needed to thrive in the world we live. To often we pile activities because to stop means you have to think and examine your heart. Stopping allows you to glorify God for what he has done. Rest allows your body to recharge. Focusing on God resets your mind to be focused on the creator. You may say I do not have time to rest. If you don’t find the time it will eventually catch up with you. So let me give you some practical advice to learn how to rest.
- Schedule it! Put it on your calendar and make it a non-negotiable
- Have a plan. Try not to just wing it.
- Do things that fill your cup.
- Make sure part of your rest time includes solitude.
- Think about your life and what you need to surrender to the Lord.
- Pray
These tips are a practical way to begin having a Sabbath rest. To do this effectively you must be able to practice self-denial. Deny in your life what you think you need and make sure rest is part of your calendar and your family calendar. Beware of those who say “busyness,that is just the way things are.” The Bible teaches rest for a reason and it is a practice that is slowly fading away.
Tomorrow I plan on reading Leviticus 24-25
