Exodus instructs us to imitate God by taking a break. In the creation story, we see our Creator first at work, then at rest. In the call to Sabbath, God calls us to imitate his work and his rest.
Through example, God established a cycle of work and rest. He uses his creativity then rests. We learn to use our God-given creativity in our work, then to take time and rest. We need to embrace seasons of rest to punctuate our seasons of work.
Rest allows time to reflect on our Creator. It is difficult to reflect on God’s place in our lives during seasons of busyness. By pulling aside for a day or two, we are able to reorient ourselves to the truth about God.
God created everything he desired in six days. He calls us to trust that our lives will be better by regularly taking a Sabbath than they would be if we pushed hard without one. Of course, we can push through without rest, but living that way is settling for second best.
Sabbath not only affords us an opportunity for rest, but also a check on our heart’s ability to trust God. We will not follow God’s command to Sabbath without trust.
Today, confess your struggle to imitate God by resting. Confess it is hard to believe life will be better by regularly resting. Ask God’s Spirit to work in your heart to help you commit to a cycle of work and rest.
