3/19

Leviticus 23:3

³"Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the LORD in all your dwelling places.

The twenty third chapter of Leviticus outlines all the days of rest and the feast days. Apparently, God delights in us taking times of rest. Every week it was required that they rest one day. During the year they had week long celebrations including Passover and the Feast of Booths. There were also other special days of rest and worship.

In addition to those, the twenty fifth chapter describes a year of rest every seven years, and an extra year of rest every fifty years. It was called the Year of Jubilee. God anticipated the question of how they were supposed to survive without planting and harvesting. He promised that if they would keep His laws, He would provide enough on the sixth year to live on for three years. That would cover the year of rest and the year of jubilee, and the year that crops were planted until the harvest was reaped.

Unfortunately, the Israelites didn't have the faith to practice those years of rest, but consider how productive that could have been. It was a break from the normal to rest, care for equipment, renew acquaintances, and reevaluate how you were living. It turns out that we are more productive when we take seasons of rest. Of course God knows that. It is how He designed us. He set the example for us in the creation account.

Do you consider rest as important and necessary as work? The workaholic is often hiding from something else in life. Time with the Lord in worship is essential to our well-being. Jesus declared that if we come to Him, we will find rest for our souls. Is your soul finding its rest in Him?

Consider: If you want to be a healthy person, you need both spiritual and physical rest. If you don't schedule those times, the busyness of life will usually keep you from them. God had Israel put it on their calendar. Will you do the same?