Daily Scripture: Deuteronomy 5:12-15, Exodus 34:21
Deuteronomy 5
12 “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do. 15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.
Exodus 34
21 “Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest.
Read additional translations at Biblegateway.com or youversion.com
Reflection Questions:
God wants us to work honestly and diligently. But in our “workaholic” culture we also need to hear what God taught Israel by setting up the Sabbath. The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt who NEVER got days off. Now God told them a Sabbath rest, the ability to stop working and renew their inner life in communion with God, was as important as their work.
- Recall that Genesis says God set the model for a rhythm of work and rest (Genesis 1:31-2:2). Is your work “never done?” Are you a person who can find a stopping point, rejoice in what you’ve done and rest? How can making a Sabbath rest a regular part of life specifically bless driven, Type-A personalities?
- Exodus 34 says, to a mainly agricultural people, “even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest.” How can you apply that to the patterns and rhythms of your life? In which times or seasons do you think, “I just can’t take a break”? What would a Sabbath rest look like in your life?
Read Darren Lippe’s insights on today’s scripture at gpsinsights.wordpress.com
Weekly Prayer:
Lord God, the Scripture story tells me that you created this beautiful world I live in with the resources to sustain life. It says that you mean my work, whether at home, at church or in my workplace, to be a vocation, a source of meaning and challenge. Give me your wisdom to make good choices, Lord, and to balance my work and my rest in you. Amen.
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, TODAY’S NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 2001, 2005 by International Bible Society®. Used by permission of International Bible Society®. All rights reserved worldwide.
